THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  ILLINOIS 


LIBRARY 

240 

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1838 


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THE 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OE  MAI; 

m  ^  ♦  « 

*  ■  *  _>  OR, 

A  SYSTEM 


DOCTRINAL  AND  PRACTICAL  CHRISTIANITY, 


DESIGNED 

FOR  THE  USE  OF  FAMILIES. 

BY  REV.  HENRY  VENN,  A.M., 

RECTOR  OE  TELLING  IN  HUNTINGDONSHIRE  IN  A.  D.  1763. 


A  NEW  EDITION, 

CAREFULLY  REVISED  AND  CORRECTED 

BY  REV.  II.  VENN,  B.D., 

or  st.  John’s  hollowai  ;  latb  fellow  of  queen’s  college,  Cambridge. 


To  whom  coining  as  unto  a  living  stone,  disallowed  indeed  of  men,  but  chosen  of 
God,  and  precious.  Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  bouse,  a  boly 
priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ.— 
1  Peter,  2  :  4,  6. 


FWER8ITY  OF  WFTOS  USRfl!*? 

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AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

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ADVERTISEMENT 


(FROM  THE  LONDON  EDITION.) 


It  may  be  well  to  inform  the  reader  that  the  early  editions 
of  this  work,  which  were  published  by  the  author  in  his  life 
time,  underwent  many  alterations  both  in  respect  of  style  and 
arrangement.  In  the  two  first  editions  the  number  of  chap¬ 
ters  was  fourteen.  In  the  third  edition  the  work  was  divided 
into  fifty-two  chapters,  to  correspond  with  the  number  of  Sun¬ 
days  in  the  year:  but  by  this  arrangement  the  subjects  were 
inconveniently  broken;  the  style  also  of  this  edition  was  so 
altered,  at  the  request  of  friends  who  thought  it  too  prolix,  as 
to  appear  more  like  an  abridgment  than  an  original  work.  At 
the  close  of  the  author’s  life,  a  fifth  edition  was  prepared  by 
his  son,  the  Rev.  John  Venn,  Rector  of  Clapham,  Surrey;  in 
which  the  style  was  brought  back  to  that  of  the  earlier  edi¬ 
tions,  and  a  middle  plan  was  adopted  in  the  division  of  chap¬ 
ters,  by  which  the  number  was  reduced  to  forty.  This  edi¬ 
tion  was  printed  and  published  by  Mr.  Hazard,  of  Bath,  in 
1798.  Many  subsequent  editions  have,  however,  been  printed, 
both  in  various  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom  and  in  America, 
in  some  of  which  considerable  alterations  in  point  of  style  and 
expression  have  been  introduced:  and  in  some  cases  the  ob¬ 
jectionable  division  of  chapters  has  been  adopted. 


4 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


The  publisher  of  this  edition  being  anxious  to  render  it  51 
correct  as  possible,  consulted  a  descendant  of  the  author,  the 
Rev.  Henry  Venn,  Incumbent  of  St.  John’s,  Holloway,  who  late¬ 
ly  published  a  volume  containing  the  author's  life  and  cor¬ 
respondence.  By  his  advice  the  fifth  edition  has  been  follow¬ 
ed,  as  the  standard  one;  and  as  he  also  kindly  revised  the 
proofs  of  the  work,  the  present  edition  is  presented  to  the 
public,  with  some  confidence,  as  being  a  genuine  and  correct 
edition  of  a  book  which  has  long  been  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  useful  manuals  of  practical  divinity. 


Holloway,  August,  1S38. 


CONTENTS 


OF  THE  SOUL. 

Chap.  ' 

1.  Its  Excellency, . 

2.  Advantages  of  a  just  Conviction  of  its  Excellency, 

OF  GOD. 

3.  His  character  as  described  in  Scripture, 

4.  His  character  Exemplified, . 

OF  MAN. 

*  #  *  \ 

5.  His  natural  Condition,  .  .  ... 

6.  His  Enmity  against  God, . 

OF  THE  LAW. 

7.  Its  Perfection  and  Use, . 

8.  Its  Use  as  preparatory  to  the  Gospel,  . 

9.  Evils  arising  from  the  Ignorance  of  it,  . 

OF  FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 

10.  Its  Nature  and  Extent,  . 

11.  The  Advantages  of  a  just  Idea  of  Faith, 

12.  Ground  of  Faith  in  Christ  for  Pardon, 

13.  - —for  Instruction,  . 

14.  - for  Victory  over  Sin, 

OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

15.  His  Divinity, . 

16.  His  Office, . 

17.  The  Properties  of  his  Influence,  .... 

OF  REPENTANCE. 

18.  Its  Nature,  . . 

19.  The  same  subject  continued,  .... 

20.  Its  universal  Obligation, . 

CHRISTIAN  GRACES  AND  DISPOSITIONS. 

21.  Dispositions  of  a  Christian  towards  God, 

Godly  Fear,  . . 

Ready  Obedience — Gratitude,  .... 

Trust  in  God, . 

Glorifying  God,  .  . . 

Purity  of  Heart, . 

22.  Imitation  of  God, . 

Love  of  God, . 

Devotion, . .  . 

Self-abasement, 


Page 

11 

18 


27 

42 


54 

65 


75 

86 

95 

106 

117 

131 

138 

148 


156 

164 

178 

184 

192 

199 

206 

207 

208 
211 

214 

215 
217 
220 
224 
227 


6 


CONTENTS 


Chap.  Page. 


23. 

Dispositions  of  a  Christian  towards  Men, 

• 

• 

231 

Sincerity, . 

• 

• 

232 

Justice, . 

• 

• 

235 

24. 

Mercy,  ...... 

• 

• 

• 

245 

Meekness, . 

• 

• 

250 

25. 

Candor, . 

• 

• 

256 

Forgiveness, . 

• 

• 

259 

Humility, . 

RELATIVE  DUTIES. 

• 

• 

263 

26. 

Of  Persons  in  a  married  State,  . 

• 

• 

268 

27. 

Of  Parents,  .  . . 

• 

• 

•  280 

28. 

Method  of  Instructing  Children,  . 

• 

• 

290 

29. 

Of  Children, . 

303 

Of  Servants, . 

• 

• 

306 

Of  Masters, . 

SELF-DENIAL. 

• 

• 

308 

30. 

With  respect  to  Intemperance, 

• 

• 

311 

31. 

Impurity, . 

319 

32. 

Covetousness, . 

329 

Inordinate  Affection,  .... 

• 

• 

336 

Love  of  Praise, . 

• 

• 

338 

33. 

False  Shame, . 

343 

Fear  of  suffering  for  Religion, 

• 

• 

345 

Pride  of  Reason,  .... 

Self-righteousness,  .... 

ON  PRAYER. 

• 

• 

347 

• 

• 

351 

34. 

Its  Object, . 

356 

Nature, . 

• 

• 

359 

Subject, . 

• 

• 

363 

35. 

Necessity, . 

• 

• 

366 

36. 

Requisites  of  true  Prayer,  . 

• 

• 

oid 

Its  Success, . 

ON  SCRIPTURE. 

• 

• 

380 

37. 

Method  of  Studying  it,  ... 

CHRISTIAN  JOY. 

• 

• 

386 

38. 

Its  Sources, . 

• 

• 

396 

39. 

The  Reasonableness  of  expecting  it,  . 

• 

• 

409 

40. 

Its  Certainty  and  Benefits,  .  .  . 

• 

• 

0 

419 

PREFATORY  NOTICE. 


The  author  of  the  following  popular  and  highly 
useful  manual  of  practical  divinity,  was  the  Rev. 
Henry  Venn,  an  evangelical,  laborious  and  suc¬ 
cessful  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England.  It 
has  passed  through  frequent  editions  since  its  first 
publication  in  the  year  1763,  and  there  is  abundant 
evidence  of  its  having  been  attended  with  a  bless¬ 
ing  to  many  of  its  readers. 

The  ministry  of  Mr.  Venn  commenced  in  the 
year  1747,  and  he  went  to  his  gracious  reward  in 
the  year  1797,  having  labored  in  his  Master’s  cause 
nearly  half  a  century,  and  been  an  instrument  in 
his  hands  of  spiritual  good  to  multitudes  of  souls 
He  was  one  of  those  excellent  men  who  contn 
buted  largely  to  the  spread  of  evangelical  preach 


8 


PREFATORY  NOTICE. 


mg  in  the  established  church ;  many  of  the  younger 
clergy  by  his  instructions  and  example  having  been 
led  into  a  more  prominent  exhibition  of  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  grace,  and  into  a  corresponding  exemplifi¬ 
cation  of  their  practical  value  in  the  purity  of  their 
lives  and  conduct. 

The  tenor  of  the  work  now  presented  anew  to 
the  Christian  public  is  in  beautiful  consistence  with 
that  of  Mr.  Venn’s  published  sermons.  It  places 
things  in  their  proper  order,  preparing  the  way  to 
Christian  practice  by  Christian  faith,  and  to  Christian 
faith  by  heartfelt  conviction  of  sin.  It  considers  all 
attempts  to  promote  holiness  of  living  as  defective, 
in  which  the  cross  of  Christ  is  not  laid  as  the 
foundation,  and  constantly  kept  in  view;  every 
duty  being  enforced  as  having  relation  to  the  Re¬ 
deemer,  his  instructions  and  example,  and  above 
all,  his  atoning  sacrifice. 

v 

“True  holiness,”  says  its  pious  author  in  his 
original  preface,  “  which  consists  in  profound  self- 
abasement,  and  subjection  to  the  God  and  Father 
of  our  spirits,  in  love  of  his  nature  and  will,  in 


PREFATORY  -NOTICE. 


9 


heavenly-minded  ness,  in  ardent  longings  after  purity 
of  heart,  is  the  genuine  product  of  a  living  faith, 
and  is  no  where  to  be  found  till  the  ever-blessed 
name  of  Jesus,  his  grace  and  truth,  his  compassion, 
his  dying  love,  and  all-perfect  obedience,  are  the 
meditation,  delight  and  confidence  of  the  soul.” 

May  every  reader  of  this  excellent  work  unite 
with  the  author  in  his  cordial  prayer  to  the  Foun¬ 
tain  of  all  good,  “  that  it  would  please  him  to  make 
it  instrumental  in  giving  to  those  who  peruse  it  such 
a  manifestation  of  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  as  shall  make  sin  and  the  world, 
with  their  bewitching  charms,  appear  vain,  despicable 
and  odious — such  a  conviction  of  human  ignorance, 
guilt  and  depravity,  as  may  infinitely  endear  the  name 
of  a  Redeemer  and  Sanctifier,  and  create  tender  com¬ 
passion  and  humbleness  of  mind  one  towards  an¬ 
other — such  a  knowledge  of  the  pardon  and  peace, 
the  strength  and  power,  the  purity  and  holiness 
which  ennoble  and  bless  those  who  have  scriptural 
faith  in  Christ,  as  may  manifest  the  emptiness  of 
deistical  and  formal  religion,  and  excite  an  earnest 


10 


PREFATORY  NOTICE. 


desire  to  behold  the  meridian  glory  of  Christianity 
in  the  eternal  world;  where  every  creature  breaks 
forth  in  fervent  acknowledgment  of  infinite  obliga¬ 
tion,  saying,  ‘  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to 
receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength, 
and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing.’  ” 

J.  M. 


y 


\ 


* 


THE 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN, 


CHAPTER  I. 

T  IS  E  SOU  E. 

ITS  EXCELLENCY. 

,  '  .  .  f  .  1  >  *  v. 

It  is  evident  that  man  is  endued  with  an  active  prin¬ 
ciple,  entirely  distinct  from  his  body.  For  whilst  his 
body  is  chained  down,  an  unconscious  mass  of  matter- 
to  a  spot  of  earth,  his  soul  can  soar  and  expatiate  in 
contemplation ;  can  reflect,  and  with  variety  almost  in¬ 
finite,  can  compare  the  numberless  objects  which  pre¬ 
sent  themselves  before  it.  When  his  body  has  attained 
maturity,  his  soul  arrives  not  to  a  state  of  perfection, 
but  goes  on  increasing  in  wisdom  and  knowledge ;  and 
when  the  body  is  feeble  or  sinks  into  decay,  the  soul  is 
often  full  of  vigor,  or  feels  grief  and  anguish  all  its  own. 

To  demonstrate  the  excellency  of  the  soul,  in  its  pro¬ 
perties  so  singular  and  admirable,  is  of  great  import¬ 
ance:  because  all  that  is  comprehended  under  the  word 
religion,  respects  the  soul.  And  many  precepts  in  the 
book  of  God  must  be  resisted  as  unreasonable,  or 
slighted  as  unnecessary,  if  the  salvation  of  the  soul  be 
not  considered  as  the  greatest  good  man  can  attain ; 
the  ruin  of  it,  the  greatest  evil  he  can  suffer. 

To  prove  the  worth  of  the  soul,  I  shall  make  my  ap¬ 
peal  to  your  own  observation,  and  to  the  evidences  of 


12 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Holy  Scripture,  entirely  waiving  all  philosophical  in¬ 
quiries  into  its  nature,  and  all  abstract  reasoning  con¬ 
cerning  it. 

Observation ,  then,  upon  what  passes  before  your  eyes 
powerfully  proves  the  worth  and  excellency  of  the 
soul.  For  what  is  the  case  of  thousands  around  you, 
if  it  has  not  already  been  your  own  'l  Are  they  not 
mourning  over  some  tender  parent,  some  affectionate 
friend,  or  near  relative  1  One  week,  the  dear  deceased, 
how  much  was  he  valued  !  What  a  sprightly  enter¬ 
taining  companion,  in  the  prime  of  life,  perhaps  of  per¬ 
sonal  comeliness!  The  next,  ah!  sudden,  bitter,  prodi¬ 
gious  transformation!  the  desirable  object  is  become 
loathsome,  fit  only  for  the  grave.  Do  you  ask  how  it 
comes  to  pass,  that  what  was  lovely  to  admiration,  only 
a  week  or  day  before,  should  so  soon  be  even  hideous 
to  look  on'?  The  answer  loudly  proclaims  the  dignity 
and  excellency  of  the  soul.  For  could  the  dead  parent, 
friend  or  relative,  hold  discourse  with  you  on  the  sub¬ 
ject,  his  answer  would  be  to  this  effect:  "Are  you 
seized  with  afflicting  surprise  1  Do  you  with  tears  of 
tenderness  bewail  the  frightful  change  you  see  in  a 
form  long  so  familiar  and  so  pleasing  to  you  1  The  cause 
is  this :  The  immortal  inhabitant,  which  for  a  few  years 
lodged  under  this  roof  of  flesh,  hath  removed  its  abode. 
My  soul  by  its  presence  gave  to  my  body  all  its  motion, 
life  and  beauty.  The  instant  the  one  took  its  destined 
flight,  the  other  began  to  moulder  into  dust,  and  dust 
must  remain  till  His  voice,  who  is  the  resurrection  and 
the  life,  unites  it  for  ever  to  its  former  inmate.” 

From  this  most  striking  difference,  therefore,  between 
a  dear  parent,  friend,  or  relation,  active,  useful,  lovely, 
and  the  cold,  pale  piece  of  outcast  earth  which  he  in¬ 
stantly  becomes  upon  the  departure  of  his  soul ;  under¬ 
stand  what  dignity  and  worth  must  necessarily  belong 
to  the  soul. 


EXCELLENCY  OF  THE  SOUL. 


13 


And  if  from  this  fact,  daily  passing  before  our  eyes, 
you  turn  to  the  page  written  by  inspiration  of  God ,  it 
is  impossible  to  remain  ignorant  of  the  excellency  of 
the  soul. 

What  can  be  imagined  more  grand  than  the  account 
of  its  creation  1  Look  up  to  the  heavens  5  immensely 
high,  immeasurably  wide  as  they  are,  God  only  spake, 
and  instantly,  with  all  their  host,  they  had  their  being. 
The  earth,  the  sea,  the  air,  with  all  their  millions  of 
beasts,  birds,  and  fishes,  were  formed  instantaneously 
by  the  breath  of  his  mouth.  But,  behold!  before  the 
human  soul  is  formed,  a  counsel  of  the  Eternal  Trinity 
is  held :  "  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  own  image, 
after  our  own  likeness.  So  God  created  man  in  his  own 
image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him.”  He  formed 
his  soul  in  its  moral  faculties  a.nd  powers,  a  sinless,  im¬ 
mortal  transcript  of  himself. 

To  deface  this  image,  and  ruin  a  creature  which  the 
love  of  God  had  so  highly  exalted,  was  an  attempt  equal 
to  the  execrable  malice  Satan  bore  against  God  and 
against  the  favorite  work  of  his  hand.  But  no  sooner 
did  the  devil,  by  his  accursed  subtilty,  bring  on  the  soul 
an  injury,  tending  to  its  utter  destruction,  than  the  most 
high  God,  by  the  method  used  to  recover  it,  declared 
a  second  time  still  more  loudly  the  exceeding  greatness 
of  its  worth.  For  take  a  just  survey  of  the  majesty  of 
Him,  who  only,  of  all  in  heaven,  was  able  or  sufficient  to 
restore  the  soul  to  the  favor  and  fruition  of  God.  Before 
him  the  depth  of  the  unfathomable  seas,  the  height  of 
the  loftiest  mountains,  the  vast  dimensions  of  the  earth, 
and  the  immense  circuit  of  the  skies,  are  as  the  small 
dust  of  the  balance.  Before  him  the  vast  mirltitudes 
which  people  the  whole  earth,  with  all  their  pomp,  are 
less  than  nothing  and  vanity.  This  is  he,  behold  him ! 
This  is  he  who  takes  upon  himself  a  work  impossible 
for  angels  to  effect,  the  redemption  of  the  soul.  He  un 


14 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


dertakes  to  replace  it  in  the  favor  of  God — not  by  the 
word  of  his  mouth,  as  in  the  day  that  he  made  the  hea¬ 
vens  and  the  earth ;  but  by  a  contrivance  infinitely  cost¬ 
ly  and  painful ;  by  a  process  of  many  steps,  each  of  them 
mysterious  to  angels  as  well  as  to  men.  To  redeem  the 
soul,  he  lays  aside  his  glory.  He  is  born  poor  and  mean. 
He  lives  afflicted,  insulted,  oppressed.  In  his  death  he 
is  made  a  sin-offering  and  a  curse,  presenting  to  the 
Father  a  divine  obedience,  and  a  death  fully  satisfactory 
to  his  broken  law.  Pause  then  awhile,  and  duly  con¬ 
sider  who  the  Redeemer  is,  and  what  he  hath  done. 
Then  will  you  necessarily  conclude,  that  whatever  the 
world  admires  as  excellent,  and  extols  as  most  valuable, 
is  unspeakably  mean  when  put  in  the  balance  against 
the  worth  of  the  soul.  ' 

It  is  indeed  a  matter  of  the  utmost  difficulty  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  One,  in  every  perfection  equal  with  the  Eter¬ 
nal  Father,  should  abase  himself  to  the  cross,  and  shed 
his  blood  on  it  to  ransom  the  soul.  Here  reason  with 
all  its  efforts  is  lost  in  the  unfathomable  depth  of  mys¬ 
tery  ;  and,  if  left  to  itself,  would  lead  into  perpetual  ca¬ 
vil,  if  not  to  a  flat  denial  of  the  reality  of  the  fact.  The 
method  used  to  prevent  such  a  denial,  which  would  be 
blasphemy  against  God  and  perdition  to  ourselves,  still 
more  forcibly  adds  evidence  to  the  worth  of  the  soul. 
For  the  same  Eternal  Spirit  which  in  the  beginning 
brought  light  out  of  darkness,  and  order  and  beauty  out 
of  chaos,  comes  down  from  heaven  to  bear  witness  of 
redemption.  "  He  shall  glorify  me,”  saith  the  Re¬ 
deemer,  "  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show 
it  unto  you.”  In  other  words,  it  is  his  office  so  to  dis¬ 
play  the  glory  of  the  person,  righteousness  and  salva¬ 
tion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  those  truths,  which 
are  foolishness  to  the  reason  of  the  natural  man,  may 
be  discerned  in  all  their  excellency.  This  Eternal  Spirit 
(called  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  because  the  only  effectual 


EXCELLENCY  OF  THE  SOUL. 


15 


Teacher  of  Divine  truth)  is  continually  present  with 
the  Church  of  Christ,  by  his  illumination  to  make  known 
the  things  which  are  freely  given  us  of  God. 

Judge,  then,  what  must  be  the  excellency  of  that  im¬ 
mortal  principle  within  you,  which  in  its  original  birth 
is  the  offspring  of  the  God  of  glory,  and  impressed  with 
his  own  image ;  then  the  purchase  of  the  blood  of  his 
Son  ,•  and  now  the  pupil  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  When  no¬ 
bility  stoops  to  the  office  of  teaching,  no  one  of  less 
dignity  than  the  heir  of  a  kingdom  must  be  the  scholar. 
How  great  then  must  be  the  excellency  of  the  soul, 
,vhich  has  the  Spirit  of  God  for  its  appointed  instructor 
and  continual  guide  ! 

It  will  still  further  prove  the  worth  of  the  soul,  to 
consider  that  amazing  elevation  of  glory  to  which  it 
will  be  advanced,  or  that  dire  extremity  of  wo  in  which 
it  will  be  plunged  hereafter..  Soon  as  the  few  years 
allotted  for  its  education  and  trial  here  on  earth  expire, 
if  grace  and  the  offers  of  salvation  have  been  duly  ac¬ 
cepted  and  improved,  it  will  gain  admission  into  the 
city  of  the  living  God ;  where  shines  an  everlasting 
day ;  where  every  thing  is  removed  for  ever  that  might 
but  tend  to  excite  fear,  or  for  a  moment  to  impair  the 
completeness  of  felicity.  And  whilst  the  soul  possesses 
a  magnificent  habitation,  eternal  in  the  heavens,  the 
company  with  which  it  will  be  associated,  in  excellency 
far  surpass  all  the  glories  of  its  place  of  abode.  Man, 
by  revolting  from  God,  was  banished  from  any  com¬ 
merce  with  the  glorious  spirits  that  people  the  invisible 
world.  But  when  the  designs  of  grace  are  accomplish¬ 
ed  in  the  soul,  it  becomes  a  partaker  of  all  the  invalu¬ 
able  privileges  and  dignities  of  the  angels.  It  is  clothed 
with  a  brightness  of  glory  refulgent  as  the  sun,  it  is 
raised  to  such  degrees  of  excellency  as  exceed  our 
highest  reach  of  thought ;  every  defect  and  blemish  in¬ 
herent  in  its  present  condition  is  done  away,  and  its 


16 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


moral  perfections  surpass  in  splendor  the  outward 
beauty  with  which  it  is  arrayed.  Now,  if  we  estimate 
the  grandeur  of  a  person  from  the  exalted  station  he  is 
born  to  bear,  and  the  possessions  he  shall  one  day  call 
his  own,  how  great  must  the  worth  of  the  soul  be 
judged,  which,  unless  ruined  by  its  own  incorrigible 
sinfulness,  is  to  inherit  the  riches  of  eternity  ;  to  stand 
before  the  throne  of  Jehovah  on  a  rank  with  angels;  to 
drink  of  rivers  of  pleasure  which  are  at  his  right  hand 
for  evermore ! 

It  is,  on  the  other  hand,  evidence  equally  strong  of 
the  value  of  the  soul,  though,  alas!  of  a  very  melan¬ 
choly  and  distressing  kind,  with  which  the  Scripture 
account  of  the  extreme  misery  it  must  suffer  if  it  pe¬ 
rishes  furnishes  us.  If  it  is  not  counted  worthy  to  be 
admitted,  through  the  Savior’s  mediation,  into  glory ; 
O  sad  alternative !  its  doom,  like  the  sentence  pro¬ 
nounced  on  some  offender  of  great  dignity,  whose  dis¬ 
tinction  serves  only  to  inflame  his  guilt,  is  full  of  hor¬ 
ror.  It  is  cut  oft’  from  all  communion  with  God;  re¬ 
moved  to  an  inconceivable  distance ;  separated  by  an 
impassable  gulf.  It  must  have  him  for  the  avenger  of 
its  crimes,  in  comparison  of  whose  strength  all  created 
might  is  weaker  than  a  new-born  babe.  That  arm  is  to 
be  stretched  forth  against  it,  which  shoots  the  planets 
in  their  rounds,  and  taketh  up  the  isles  as  a  very  little 
thing.  The  soul  that  perishes  is  to  suffer  the  punish¬ 
ment  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels ;  to  suffer 
punishment,  the  very  same  in  kind  with  that  of  the 
great  adversary  of  the  blessed  God ;  whose  business, 
whose  only  joy  ever  since  his  fall  from  heaven,  has 
been  to  defeat,  if  it  were  possible,  all  God’s  designs  of 
grace  ;  to  undermine  his  kingdom  and  tread  his  honor 
in  the  dust ;  who  has  already  seduced  souls  without 
number,  and  who  will  go  on  in  his  course  of  treason 
and  enmity  against  God,  till  the  day  of  executing  full 


EXCELLENCY  OF  THE  SOUL. 


1? 


vengeance  on  him  is  come.  Though  not  in  equal  tor¬ 
ment,  yet  in  the  same  hell  with  this  execrable  being,  is 
the  soul  that  perishes  to  endure  the  wrath  of  God. 

Whether  you  regard  therefore  the  felicity  or  the  r  uin 
which  the  soul  of  man  in  a  few  fleeting  years  must  ex¬ 
perience,  you  will  find  it  hard  to  determine  which  of 
the  two  most  forcibly  bespeaks  its  grandeur. 

These  evidences,  obvious  to  every  eye  which  reads 
the  Scripture  page,  prove,  in  a  manner  not  to  be  ques¬ 
tioned,  that  the  poorest  beggar  carries  greater  wealth 
in  his  own  bosom,  and  possesses  a  higher  dignity  in  his 
own  person,  than  all  the  world  can  give  him.  The  soul 
that  enables  him  to  think  and  choose,  surpasses  in  worth 
all  that  the  eye  ever  saw  or  the  fancy  ever  imagined. 
Before  one  such  immortal  being  all  the  magnificence  of 
the  natural  world  appears  diminutive,  because  transi¬ 
tory.  All  these  things  wax  old  as  doth  a  garment,  and 
all  the  works  of  nature  shall  be  burnt  up ;  hut  the  years 
of  the  soul,  its  happiness  or  its  wo,  like  the  unchange¬ 
able  God  its  creator,  endure  for  ever. 

From  these  evidences  you  will  perceive,  that  the 
schemes  which  engage  the  attention  of  eminent  states¬ 
men  and  mighty  kings,  nay  even  the  delivery  of  a  na¬ 
tion  from  ruin  or  slavery,  are  trifles  when  set  in  com¬ 
petition  with  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul.  You  will 
see  the  propriety  of  that  astonishing  assertion,  that  in 
heaven,  the  seat  of  glory,  and  among  angels,  whose 
thoughts  can  never  stoop  to  any  thing  little,  "  There 
is  joy  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth.”  You  will  see 
why  the  Lord  God  Almighty  is  at  so  much  pains  (if  the 
expression  may  be  used)  to  awaken  the  children  of  men 
into  a  just  concern  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls  :  why 
the  warnings  he  gives  them  are  so  solemn,  his  calls  so 
repeated  and  pressing,  and  his  entreaties  so  affectionate. 
All  these  things  follow  as  the  just  and  natural  conclu¬ 
sions  from  the  matchless  excellency  of  the  soul. 


18 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


CHAPTER  II. 


TMIZ  SOITJL — continued. 

*  *  '  *  *  * 

ADVANTAGES  OF  A  JUST  CONVICTION  OF  ITS  EXCELLENCY. 

The  incomparable  excellency  of  the  soul  has  been 
shown  by  various  proofs.  A  clear,  strong,  and  abiding 
conviction  of  this  excellency  is  the  foundation  of  all 
real  religion,  and  on  many  accounts  is  indispensably 
necessary. 

For  want  of  a  just  perception  of  the  worth  of  the  soul, 
the  amusements  of  folly  and  the  pleasures  of  sin  are 
looked  upon  by  the  young  as  the  chief  sources  of  de¬ 
light.  They  are  shy  of  religion,  notwithstanding  its  pro¬ 
mises  of  peace,  of  joy,  of  eternal  life,  and  they  regard 
it  as  a  malevolent  enemy  to  their  happiness.  But  no 
sooner  do  they  once  truly  apprehend  the  excellency  of 
the  soul,  than  acquaintance  with  spiritual  objects  is 
sought  after  and  highly  valued.  Thus  informed,  the  lan¬ 
guage  even  of  youthful  hearts  is  this  :  "  The  bloom  of 
my  days  and  the  vigor  of  my  life  shall  be  devoted  to 
my  best,  my  everlasting  interest.  A  sight  of  the  worth 
of  my  soul  has  delivered  me  from  the  fascinating  power 
of  polluting  lusts,  and  has  broken  all  the  magic  force 
of  their  cruel  enchantments.” 

The  same  knowledge  of  the  worth  of  the  soul  is  ab¬ 
solutely  necessary  to  preserve  men  inviolably  honest 
amidst  the  temptations  which  abound  in  trade,  and  in 
every  profession.  For  on  the  exchange,  in  the  univer- . 
sity,  the  coffee-house,  in  almost  every  circle  of  private 
company,  infectious  discourse  in  praise  of  riches  and 


WORTH  OF  THE  SOUL 


19 


honor  is  poured  forth,  and  contaminates  the  principles 
of  those  who  hear  it.  From  the  worldly  lusts  natural 
to  man  thus  inflamed  spring  all  the  diseases  of  trade. 
Hence  the  extortion,  the  falsehood,  the  imposition,  the 
spirit  of  extravagant  speculation  by  which  the  character 
and  the  peace  of  thousands  are  ruined.  They  are  en¬ 
gendered  by  a  rage  for  money,  and  a  boundless  desire 
of  filthy  lucre.  Nothing  can  control  this  wide-spreading 
evil,  but  a  perception  of  the  soul’s  inestimable  worth. 
Let  this  take  place,  and  immediately  the  deformity  of 
the  former  false,  defiling  ideas  of  worldly  advancement 
and  gain,  is  discovered.  Trade  will  then  he  carried  on 
with  temperance  of  affection.  An  enlightened  con¬ 
science,  like  a  vigilant  sentinel,  will  sound  an  alarm  in 
every  hour  of  danger  ;  it  will  keep  the  man  of  trade  and 
merchandise  punctually  true  to  his  best,  his  greatest  in¬ 
terest,  and  enable  him  with  ease  to  conquer  those  temp¬ 
tations  which  before  led  him  away  captive :  "  What,” 
he  will  say,  "  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain 
the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  1  or  what  shall 
a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  Vy 

The  necessity  of  a  strong  and  abiding  perception  of 
the  worth  of  the  soul,  appears  also  from  the  considera¬ 
tion,  that  it  is  the  ground  of  real  prayer ,  and  the  cause 
of  its  success.  In  addresses  from  man  to  man  hypo¬ 
crisy  is  detestable  ;  how  much  more  in  addresses  from 
man  to  God !  But  how  is  it  possible  prayer  can  be  any 
thing  more  than  lwpocrisy,  when  the  supplicant  is  not 
impressed  with  a  due  sense  of  the  worth  of  the  soul  I 
Who  can  deprecate  the  wrath  revealed  against  sin,  im¬ 
plore  deliverance  from  its  defilement,  or  earnestly  en¬ 
treat  a  supply  of  his  spiritual  wants,  who  does  not  per¬ 
ceive  the  worth  of  the  soull  In  the  nature  of  things 
we  can  have  no  deep  concern,  where  we  apprehend  no 
great  misery  if  we  fail  of  success,  or  advantage  if  we 
are  crowned  with  it.  We  may  indeed  personate,  in  our 


20 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


closets  or  at  church,  a  man  in  earnest  pursuit  of  spirit¬ 
ual  blessings  ;  and  be  constant  in  the  use  of  those  very 
prayers  which  such  an  one,  with  the  noblest  sensibility, 
would  pour  out  before  his  God.  But  unless  we  feel  the 
same  spirit,  through  the  same  knowledge  of  the  excel¬ 
lency  of  the  soul,  we  only  act  a  part  in  the  closet  or  in 
the  church,  as  a  player  does  on  the  stage :  we  appear 
in  a  character  which  is  no  more  our  own  than  that  of 
the  king  or  hero  on  the  stage  is  his.  Hence  multitudes 
constantly  engaged  in  acts  of  devotion,  remain  grossly 
ignorant,  and  utterly  unaffected  by  every  thing  which 
they  profess  to  believe  and  day  by  day  seem  to  im¬ 
plore.  Their  confessions  are  deceitful,  their  prayers 
void  of  fervor,  and  their  thanksgiving  without  grati 

tude.  But  such  devotion  must  be  as  unsuccessful  as  it  is 
% 

insincere.  God  is  a  God  of  truth.  He  must  receive  ser¬ 
vices  just  as  they  are  ;  and  where  nothing  but  outward 
homage  and  fine  words  are  offered  to  him,  nothing  is 
obtained.  Sin  is  not  pardoned,  nor  evil  tempers  sub¬ 
dued.  All  the  fruit  of  such  feigned  intercourse  with 
the  God  of  heaven,  is  to  flatter  self-love,  and  to  harden 
men  in  presumption,  till  their  hypocrisy  is  at  once  fully 
discovered  and  punished. 

On  the  contrary,  are  you  conscious  of  the  worth  of 
your  soul  1  This  will  dispose  you  for  every  devout  ex¬ 
ercise.  Godly  sorrow  for  sin  will  accompany  the  con¬ 
fession  of  it,  when  lamented  as  an  enemy  to  your  best, 
your  immortal  interest.  Ardent  and  urgent  will  be  the 
pleadings  for  grace  and  pardon,  when  their  importance, 
as  connected  with  a  soul  of  inestimable  worth,  is  seen 
and  felt.  Most  hearty  and  affectionate  will  be  the 
thanksgiving  for  mercies  already  vouchsafed,  when 
every  instance  of  favor  from  above  is  considered  as  a 
pledge  of  the  eternal  felicity  of  the  soul. 

It  follows,  therefore,  that  in  the  same  degree  in  which 
it  is  necessary  to  resist  temptations  to  evil,  or  profitably 


WORTH  OF  THE  SOUL. 


21 


to  engage  in  the  solemn  acts  of  religion,  it  is  necessary 
also  to  be  impressed  with  the  worth  of  the  soul. 

The  natural  result  of  such  an  impression  will  be  a  di¬ 
ligent  care  for  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

Now  the  supreme  wisdom  of  such  carefulness  is 
most  evident  from  comparing  beauty,  honor,  knowledge, 
riches,  or  whatever  else  is  usually  valued  amongst  men, 
with  the  soul. 

The  elegant  lovely  form  which  captivates  the  eye  of 
every  beholder,  and  fills  the  mind  that  possesses  it  with 
perpetual  vanity,  ill  rewards  the  anxious  carefulness 
used  to  preserve  it.  No  cautious  attention,  no  human 
power  or  skill  is  able  to  protect  it  from  the  waste  of 
time,  the  blast  of  sickness,  or  the  untimely  stroke 
of  death. 

The  place  of  honor  and  the  name  of  applause,  for 
which  thousands  are  glad  to  sacrifice  their  ease  and  sell 
their  liberty,  is  of  little  value,  since  it  is  subject  to  all 
the  caprice  of  fickle-minded  man.  How  many,  once  the 
favorites  of  a  court,  the  idols  of  a  kingdom,  have  lived 
to  see  all  their  blooming  honors  wither,  and  their  names 
sink  into  oblivion,  if  not  contempt. 

Are  you  ambitious  to  climb  the  envied  summit  of  li¬ 
terary  fame,  and  shine  without  a  rival  in  the  acquisition 
of  knowledge  ?  In  one  fatal  hour,  a  paralytic  stroke,  a 
violent  fever,  may  disorder  the  structure  of  your  brain, 
rifle  all  the  cells  of  knowledge,  and  wipe  away  from 
your  memory  the  very  traces  of  all  that  has  been  com¬ 
mitted  to  its  keeping.  Thus  you  may  be  left  the  sad 
survivor  of  yourself  ;  a-  mortifying  spectacle  to  human 
pride ;  a  melancholy,  but  irresistible  proof,  how  much 
men  may  rate  the  attainment  of  human  knowledge 
higher  than  its  precarious  tenure  justifies. 

If  your  great  aim  is  to  become  rich,  of  chief  eminence 
in  your  trade,  able  to  command  all  outward  things 
which  can  minister  to  your  vanity  or  pleasure,  still  how 


22 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


unworthy  of  your  supreme  desire  and  care  is  such  a 
condition,  because  absolutely  insecure !  Life  itself,  the 
foundation  of  all  temporary  enjoyments,  is  but  as  a 
beauteous  vapor  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and 
then  vanishes  away.  Each  day,  yre  know,  is  translating 
some  of  the  opulent  sons  of  industry  into  a  world  wheie 
not  a  mite  of  all  their  gain  can  follow  them. 

Nay,  if  you  are  engrossed  by  the  care  of  providing 
for  those  tender  pledges  of  God’s  love  to  you,  the  off¬ 
spring  of  your  own  body,  whom  you  were  a  monster 
of  cruelty  to  neglect ;  yet  here  you  may  be  suddenly, 
be  wholly  disappointed.  Your  darling  child,  the  living 
image  of  yourself,  how  unable  are  you  to  preserve  its 
invaluable  life  from  perils  and  from  fierce  disease ! 
When  parted  from  you  on  a  visit  or  some  business,  you 
may,  like  Sisera’s  fond  mother,  be  chiding  its  delay, 
and,  with  all  the  impatience  of  love,  asking,  "  Where¬ 
fore  is  my  son  or  daughter  so  long  in  coming  V’  whilst 
some  appointment  of  God  has  taken  away  the  desire  of 
your  eyes  with  a  stroke. 

Thus,  if  you  take  a  full  survey  of  every  thing  which 
the  children  of  men  seek  with  greatest  anxiety  to  en¬ 
joy  ,  compared  with  a  supreme  concern  for  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  the  soul,  and  steady  regard  to  its  interests,  how 
vain  is  it  !  Nay,  whatever  it  be,  except  the  soul,  about 
which  you  are  careful,  it  has  this  most  degrading  cir¬ 
cumstance  attending  it,  it  has  the  condition  only  of  an 
annuity  for  life :  each  successive  year  makes  a  consi¬ 
derable  decrease  in  its  value,  and  at  death  the  whole  is 
at  an  end  for  ever. 

But  if  your  principal  care  and  solicitude  is  for  the 
salvation  of  the  soul,  all  the  unexpected  disasters,  dis¬ 
appointments  and  losses,  which  harass  the  sinful  chil¬ 
dren  of  men,  will  become  affecting  proofs  of  the  su¬ 
preme  wisdom  of  your  choice,  and  the  unrivalled  ex¬ 
cellency  of  your  pursuit.  Even  the  tears  that  stream 


WORTH  OF  THE  SOUL. 


23 


down  the  cheeks  of  the  miserable,  and  the  complaints 
of  those  who  are  disappointed  in  worldly  schemes  will 
pronounce  you  blessed,  who  are  athirst  for  your  immor¬ 
tal  soul’s  salvation.'  Are  you  conscious  of  its  worth  1 
Are  you  striving  in  daily  intercourse  with  God,  its 
Creator,  Redeemer,  and  Sanctifier,  to  secure  its  eter¬ 
nal  welfare  1  Then  you  may  set  all  the  evils  that  ter¬ 
rify  the  human  race  at  defiance.  Your  inferior  dying 
part  they  may  wound,  but  they  cannot  strike  deep 
enough,  or  reach  high  enough  to  hurt  your  soul.  In 
the  midst  of  what,  otherwise,  would  prove  ruin  insup¬ 
portable,  your  wise  choice  will  cover -you  like  armor, 
and  render  you  invulnerable. 

Are  you  poor,  and  treated  with  scorn  by  the  sons  of 
pride  1  you  will  have  examples  and  prospects  more 
than  sufficient  to  support  you.  You  will  see  your  own 
case  in  the  instructive  history  of  the  saints  of  God,  who 
were  destitute  and  afflicted ;  and  in  that  wonderful  con¬ 
trast  of  meanness  and  grandeur,  extreme  poverty  and 
immense  wealth,  the  dying  Lazarus.  With  patience, 
with  gladness  of  heart  you  will  see  that  the  deepest 
distress,  and  the  surest  title  to  glory,  maybe  for  a  small 
moment  united.  In  every  case  where  proper  care  for 
the  soul  hath  prevailed,  you  will  see  that  poverty,  how¬ 
ever  extreme,  sufferings,  however  long  and  grievous, 
add  both  to  the  weight  and  brightness  of  future  glory. 

In  sickness  also,  the  supreme  wisdom  of  having  been 
careful  above  all  things  for  your  soul,  will  display  itself 
with  peculiar  lustre.  For  though  health  is  absolutely 
essential  to  a  sensitive  happiness ;  though  the  least 
ache  or  bodily  disorder  deprives  the  proud  and  world¬ 
ly-minded  of  their  enjoyments,  yet  the  soul,  if  with  due 
care  it  has  been  exercised  in  the  ways  appointed  by 
God,  finds  sources  from  whence  to  derive  consolation 
under  the  most  violent  pressures;  consolation  sufficient 
to  banish  both  outward  impatience  and  inward  dejection 


24 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


I 


from  their  accustomed  throne,  the  chamber  of  sickness 
and  pain.  With  a  lovely  and  edifying  meekness,  you 
will  regard  such  discipline,  though  trying  to  sense  and 
oppressive  to  the  flesh,  as  prepared  by  the  all-wise  and 
merciful  Refiner,  to  purge  away  every  base  mixture 
that  still  cleaves  to  and  defiles  your  soul.  The  welfare 
of  your  soul,  dearer  to  you  than  all  external  comforts, 
will  induce  you  to  welcome  the  visitations  which  are 
of  such  sovereign  use  to  promote  its  health.  In  short, 
in  sickness  the  whole  man  is  a  miserable  sufferer, 
where  the  soul  has  been  forgotten:  where  earnestly 
cared  for  and  instructed  in  divine  truth,  the  inferior 
part  alone  feels  the  pressure. 

To  advance  still  further  :  death,  the  detector  of  all 
cheats — death,  the  touchstone  of  all  true  worth,  and 
therefore  the  king  of  terrors  to  those  whose  care  every 
thing  has  shared  but  their  souls,  even  death  itself  will 
confirm  the  supreme  wisdom  of  your  conduct.  The 
death-bed,  on  which  the  gay,  the  prosperous,  and  the 
noble  lay  down  their  heads  appalled  and  confounded,  is 
the  theatre  for  displaying  the  fortitude  of  those  who 
have  sought,  as  the  one  thing  needful,  the  salvation  of 
the  soul.  The  former  are  confounded,  because  unpre¬ 
pared.  The  loss  of  all  they  valued  is  coming  upon 
them :  their  approaching  change  can  promise  them  no¬ 
thing  :  it  is  much  if  it  forebode  not  dreadful  consequen¬ 
ces.  But  to  the  latter,  every  thing  wears  another  aspect. 
Must  the  world  be  left  by  them  1  it  has  been  already 
renounced  and  vanquished.  Must  all  temporal  good  be 
forsaken  for  ever  1  how  placid,  how  calm  the  surrender, 
when  the  riches  of  eternity  are  theirs :  no  striving,  no 
querulous  repining  against  the  irresistible  summons  to 
depart,  when  that  very  departure  has  been  habitually 
expected,  as  a  translation  of  the  soul  to  its  proper  ever¬ 
lasting  happiness. 

In  fact,  dying  Christians,  that  is,  all  that  have  dr1^ 


WORTH  OF  THE  SOUL. 


25 

sought  in  a  right  method  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  have 
given  proofs  of  the  supreme  wisdom  of  their  conduct 
in  the  hour  of  nature’s  sorrow  and  distress :  so  that 
those  fine  lines  of  Dr.  Young  are  most  justly  descrip- 
t  ive  of  the  happy  few,  whose  souls  have  been  more  pre¬ 
cious  to  them  than  every  temporal  concern  or  comfort; 

“  The  chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  fate 
“  Is  privileged,  beyond  the  common  walk 
“  Of  virtuous  life,  quite  on  the  verge  of  heav’n : 

“  Heaven  waits  on  the  last  moment;  owns  her  friends 
“  On  this  side  death,  and  points  them  out  to  men : 

“  A  lecture  silent,  but  of  sov’reign  pow’r.” 

All  these  advantages,  arising  from  supreme  careful¬ 
ness  for  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  are  still  more  worthy 
of  regard,  because  not  at  all  uncertain.  You  may  be 
braving  the  thickest  dangers  of  the  field  of  war  to  get 
the  name  of  valor  and  the  place  of  command:  yet  fall 
an  early  victim  in  the  bloody  battle,  or  after  it  your 
services  may  be  neglected.  You  may  burn  with  inex¬ 
tinguishable  ardor,  to  stand  high  in  the  rank  of  scholars, 
and  ruin  your  health  by  intense  study,  yet  die  mortified 
at  the  littleness  of  your  reputation.  Your  labor  to  suc¬ 
ceed  in  business  may  be  incessant,  yet  through  a  thou¬ 
sand  circumstances  which  you  have  no  power  to  pre¬ 
vent,  you  may  repeatedly  suffer  disappointment,  and 
poverty  still  remain  your  portion.  The  favor  of  pa¬ 
trons,  friends,  relations,  may  be  assiduously  courted, 
and  appear  promising  to  your  earnest  wishes ;  and  yet 
others  may  supplant  you,  and,  receiving  the  benefits 
you  were  grasping  in  idea,  make  the  very  name  of 
patron,  friend,  relation,  odious  to  you.  The  world  is 
every  day  exhibiting  instances  of  bitter  disappointment 
in  each  of  the  cases  above  described. 

But  if  with  all  the  strength  of  desire  you  have  sought 
the  salvation  of  your  soul,  through  Jesus  Christ,  you 

2 


Duty  of  Man. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


2G 

need  not  fear  the  changes  ever  incident  to  the  things 
of  earth.  You  have  to  do  with  the  blessed  God,  in  whom 
is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turning.  You 
may  be  therefore  rich,  or  you  may  be  poor ;  raised  or 
depressed  ;  beloved  or  slighted  by  those  on  whom  you 
are  dependent  5  you  may  enjoy  health,  or  be  oppressed 
with  mortal  disease,  whilst  in  each  state  were  you  to 
ask  yourself,  what  course  could  I  have  best  taken  for 
present  peace  and  felicity,  reason,  conscience,  Scripture 
would  all  reply,  the  very  course  you  have  taken,  that 
of  caring,  in  the  first  place,  for  the  salvation  of  your 
soul. 

To  say  no  more ;  the  quick  succession  of  years 
.  which  exceedingly  impoverish,  as  they  pass  by,  every 
man  whose  soul  is  not  his  chief  care,  will,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  be  accumulating  for  you  the  true  riches.  Like  a 
prudent  factor,  who,  instead  of  lavishing  his  gain  in 
present  luxury,  yearly  remits  it  home,  that  he  may  re¬ 
turn  to  enjoy  life  in  his  native  country,  after  all  his 
toils,  with  ease  and  honor  j  so  will  you  be  growing  rich 
towards  God ;  sure  to  return,  by  death,  to  that  happy 
country,  where,  amidst  congratulating  saints  and  an¬ 
gels,  you  shall  enter  upon  the  possession  of  an  inherit¬ 
ance  prepared  for  your  soul,  incorruptible  and  undefiled, 
and  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  you. 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


27 


CHAPTER  III. 

OF  0013. 


THE  SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 

The  first  duty  of  a  Christian  is  to  conceive  of  God 
only  according  to  the  revelation  which  he  has  given  of 
himself :  to  meditate  on  this  revelation  with  humility, 
diligence  and  prayer,  not  daring  to  indulge  fallacious 
reasonings,  lest  he  should  form  an  imaginary  god,  and 
then  worship  the  creature  of  his  own  brain. 

Nor  will  such  an  absolute  submission  of  the  under 
standing  to  revelation,  in  this  matter,  be  thought  in  the 
least  grievous  or  dishonorable,  when  it  is  considered, 
that  of  ourselves,  and  in  our  present  state  of  darkness 
and  corruption,  we  are  utterly  unable  to  form  any  just 
conceptions  of  the  divine  nature  and  perfections. 
When  once  we  forsake  the  guidance  of  Scripture,  we 
are  left  to  uncertain  conjecture  ;  we  put  ourselves  in 
the  condition  of  the  unenlightened  heathen ;  and  their 
errors,  on  this  most  important  subject,  as  universal  as 
they  were  lamentable,  are  a  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
short-sightedness  and  vanity  of  unassisted  reason,  and 
of  the  ignorance  of  man  in  the  things  of  God. 

I  shall  therefore  present  you  with  a  transcript  of 
what  the  sacred  oracles  have  delivered  to  us,  on  this 
important  point  of  belief.  In  absolute  submission  to 
them,  I  shall  endeavor  to  delineate  the  character  of 
the  blessed  God,  as  drawn  by  himself,  and  explain  his 
nature  and  will,  his  acts  and  providences,  his  decrees 
and  purposes,  as  exhibited  in  the  Bible.  Thus,  knowing 


28 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  God  with  whom  we  have  to  do,  may  we  be  faithful 
to  the  light  he  hath  given  us,  and  regulate  our  conduct 
towards  him  by  the  infallible  standard  of  his  own  plain 
and  positive  declarations.  And  may  he  himself  render 
them  effectual  to  enlighten  the  understanding  ;  so  that 
every  reader,  in  the  devout  fervor  of  his  soul,  may  cry 
out  before  him,  "  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works, 
Lord  God  Almighty ;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou 
King  of  saints  ;  who  shall  not  fear  thee,  0  Lord,  and 
glorify  thy  name  V’ 

In  the  first  place,  the  Scripture  represents  God  as 
possessed  of  the  incommunicable  perfection  of  eternal 
existence.  Ail  other  beings  once  were  not :  there  was 
a  period  when  the  most  excellent  of  them  began  to  ex¬ 
ist  ;  and  the  same  power  which  gave  them  life,  could 
again  reduce  them  to  their  original  nothing. 

On  the  contrary,  God  has  ever  existed;  the  same  in 
essence,  felicity  and  perfection  :  from  all  eternity  he 
has  been  what  he  now  is,  and  what  he  will  eternally  re¬ 
main.  The  existence  of  things  which  are  seen,  com¬ 
pels  us  to  acknowledge  this  incomprehensible  truth  ; 
and  agreeable  to  it,  is  his  own  account  of  his  eternal 
power  and  Godhead:  ”  I  am,”  saith  he,  "  that  I  am” — 
"  The  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,”  is 
his  title.  "  Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth, 
or  ever  thou  hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world, 
even  from  everlasting  to  everlasting  thou  art  God.” 

Nearly  allied  to  this  perfection  of  eternal  existence, 
is  the  unchangeableness  of  God.  His  love  and  hatred 
remain  immutably  the  same  towards  their  respective 
objects.  "  I  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not,”  is  one  of 
those  sovereign  titles  by  which  he  manifests  himself  to 
us:  with  him  "is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of 
turning.”  In  proof  of  this  excellency,  God  is  called  a 
rock.  This  metaphor  intimates  that  as  a  rock  continues 
steadfast  and  immoveable,  whilst  the  surrounding  ocean 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD 


29 


is  in  a  perpetual  fluctuation ;  so,  though  all  the  crea¬ 
tures  of  God,  from  the  lowest  to  the  very  highest,  are 
subject  to  change — capable  of  additions  or  alterations 
with  respect  to  their  knowledge,  their  power,  or  their 
blessedness — God  alone  is  absolutely  the  same  yester¬ 
day,  to-day,  and  for  ever. 

God  is  a  spirit.  The  distinguishing  properties  of 
spirit  are  understanding  and  will,  consciousness  and 
activity.  By  virtue  of  these  properties,  every  spiritual 
substance  differs  totally  from  dead  matter  or  body,  and 
is  infinitely  superior  to  it  in  its  nature  and  essence. 
But  though  this  difference  between  spiritual  substances 
and  those  of  matter  is  sufficient  to  help  our  weak  con¬ 
ceptions,  yet  we  are  taught  in  Scripture,  that  the  ever- 
living  God  surpasses  in  excellence  all  created  spirits, 
infinitely  more  than  they  do,  in  their  nature  and  pro¬ 
perties,  merely  animal  substances.  For  God  not  only 
declares  of  himself  that  he  is  a  spirit,  but  that  he  is 
"the  Father  of  spirits,  and  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all 
flesh.”  It  follows,  therefore,  that  it  is  not  sufficient 
merely  to  conceive  that  God  is  a  spirit,  meaning,  by 
that  name,  a  living,  intelligent,  and  active  being,  essen¬ 
tially  distinguished  from  the  material  frame  our  eyes 
behold  ;  for  though  this  is  most  truly  affirmed  of  him, 
yet  must  you  add  to  him  perfections  which  no  other 
spirits  possess,  as  well  as  separate  from  him  every 
kind  of  imperfection  which  adheres  to  them.  They 
exist  within  certain  limits,  they  are  ignorant  of  many 
things,  they  are  defective  in  power;  but  the  Father  of 
spirits  himself  is  omnipresent,  and  infinite  alike  in 
power  and  in  knowledge. 

God  is  omnipresent.  The  universe,  which  owes  its 
formation  and  existence  entirely  to  his  creative  power, 
is  not  only  governed,  but  is  continually  sustained  by 
him.  The  whole  immeasurable  frame  of  nature  must 
therefore  be  pervaded  by  his  all-enlivening  influence 


30 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Accordingly,  this  most  grand  and  majestic  interroga¬ 
tion  is  put  by  himself  to  the  children  of  men  ;  "  Do  not 
I  fill  heaven  and  earth  1  saith  the  Lord.”  Jer.  23  :  24- 
And  in  the  139th  Psalm,  this  perfection  of  God  is  de¬ 
scribed  with  equal  sublimity  and  force.  The  enlight¬ 
ened  and  inspired  prophet  begins  with  making  the  in¬ 
quiry,  whether  it  was  possible  for  him  to  hide  himself 
from  the  Author  of  his  being  and  the  Creator  of  all 
things:  "Whither”  (says  he)  "shall  I  go  from  thy 
Spirit,  or  whither  shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence  1  If  1 
ascend  up  into  heaven,”  into  the  regions  above  the  firma¬ 
ment,  "  thou  art  there ;”  I  shall  not  only  find  myself 
still  within  the  limits  of  thy  sovereign  dominion,  but 
under  thy  immediate  inspection.  "  If  I  make  my  bed  in 
hell,”  that  is,  plunge  myself  into  the  unknown  mansions 
of  the  dead,  and  the  worlds  invisible,  where  even  ima¬ 
gination  loses  itself  in  darkness,  "  behold,  thou  art 
there !  If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning,  and  dwell 
in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea ;”  if,  with  the  swift¬ 
ness  of  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  I  could  in  an  instant 
convey  myself  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  western 
world,  the  wings  of  the  morning  are  not  swift  enough 
to  carry  me  from  thy  pursuing  hand ;  "  even  there  shall 
thy  hand  lead  me,  and  thy  right  hand  shall  hold  me 
I  shall  exist  in  thee,  0  God!  thy  presence  will  be  dif¬ 
fused  around  me,  thy  enlivening  power  will  support  my 
frame.  "  If  I  say,  Surely  the  darkness  shall  cover  me  ; 
even  the  night  shall  be  light  about  me,  yea,  the  dark¬ 
ness  hideth  not  from  thee,  but  the  night  shineth  as  the 
day;  the  darkness  and  light  are  both  alike  to  thee.”  I 
myself,  my  actions  and  circumstances,  are  equally  con¬ 
spicuous  in  the  thickest  shades  of  night,  and  in  the 
brightest  splendors  of  the  noon-day  sun.  The  universe 
is  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  every  part  of  it  is  filled 
with  his  presence.  And  as  the  Scripture  thus  forcibly 
describes  the  presence  of  God  with  all  things  actually 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


31 


existing,  so  it  expressly  teaches  us,  that,  vast  as  the 
dimensions  of  the  creation  are,  they  do  not  bound  or 
circumscribe  his  being.  With  holy  admiration  we  are 
commanded  to  say  unto  God,  "  Behold,  the  heaven  and 
heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  thee  !”  1  Kings,  8  :  27. 

To  this  amazing  perfection  of  God,  his  omnipresence, 
is  joined  almighty  power.  A  human  artist,  or  created 
agent,  can  only  fashion  his  work  from  materials  already 
prepared  for  him,  and  which  he  cannot  make :  but  the 
glorious  God  commands  things  into  being.  He  was  not 
beholden  to  pre-existent  matter  in  the  formation  of  the 
world ;  for  "  the  things  which  are  seen  were  not  made 
of  things  which  do  appear.”  On  the  contrary,  all  things, 
whether  of  a  material  or  spiritual  nature,  stood  up  be¬ 
fore  the  mighty  God  at  his  call,  and  were  created  at  his 
pleasure.  The  heavens,  and  all  the  hosts  of  them  ;  the 
earth,  and  all  things  which  are  therein,  are  not  only  the 
work  of  his  hands,  but  "  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  were 
the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of  them  by  the 
breath  of  his  mouth.”  "  I,  ”  saitli  the  Lord,  "  have 
made  the  earth,  and  created  man  upon  it ;  I,  even  my 
hands,  have  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  all  their 
host  have  I  commanded.”  Isaiah,  45  :  12. 

The  same  almighty  power  of  God,  to  which  the  whole 
creation  owes  its  birth,  is  manifested  also  in  the  dispo¬ 
sition  and  preservation  of  the  world  in  order  and  har¬ 
mony.  Thus  the  exertions  of  the  almighty  power  of 
God  are  continually  placed  before  us :  ”  He  watereth 
the  earth,  and  blesseth  the  increase  of  it ;  he  covereth 
the  heaven  with  clouds,  and  prepareth  rain  for  the  earth  ; 
he  giveth  snow  like  wool,  and  scattereth  the  hoar-frost 
like  ashes :  he  divideth  the  sea  with  his  power,  and  lay- 
eth  up  the  depths  in  store-houses :  fire  and  hail,  storm 
and  tempest  fulfil  his  word.” 

The  steady  course  of  nature,  which  thoughtless  and 
profane  men  are  wont  to  consider  as  the  effect  of  neces- 


32 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


sity,  rather  than  of  all-wise  direction,  is  wholly  owing 
we  are  taught,  to  the  almighty  power  of  God.  It  is  he 
alone,  saith  the  Scripture,  who  makes  the  day-spring 
know  its  place,  and  stretcheth  out  the  shadows  of  the 
evening — that  commands  the  sun  to  shine  by  day,  and 
the  moon  by  night :  that  prepares  a  place  for  the  rain, 
and  a  way  for  the  lightning  and  thunder — that  maketh 
the  herbs  to  grow  upon  the  earth.  The  hand  of  the 
Lord  doeth  all  these  things. 

It  must  further  be  observed,  that  the  Scripture  gives 
us  the  most  awful  idea  ,  of  the  boundless  power  which 
belongeth  to  God,  by  declaring  that  he  can  in  a  mo¬ 
ment  dissolve  tire  whole  frame  of  nature.  Human  force 
is  at  much  pains  to  demolish  what  it  before'  toiled  to 
erect ;  but  the  might  of  the  most  high  God  can,  with 
greater  ease  than  we  can  admit  the  thought,  change 
the  face  of  the  creation,  and  destroy  what  seems  to  be 
built  on  the  most  stable  foundation.*  "  He  removeth 
the  mountains,  and  they  know  it  not ;  he  overturneth 
them  in  his  anger. — He  commandeth  the  sun,  and  it  ris- 
eth  not  j  and  sealeth  up  the  stars. — He  shaketh  the 
earth  out  of  its  place,  and  the  pillars  thereof  tremble. — 
The  pillars  of  heaven  tremble  and  are  astonished  at  his 
reproof. — The  mountains  quake  at  him,  and  the  hills 
melt,  and  the  earth  is  burned  at  his  presence.” 

But  in  the  attribute  of  mere  power,  however  bound¬ 
less  and  irresistible,  there  is  no  loveliness.  We  may 
indeed  be  astonished,  and  tremble  before  it ;  but  to 
contemplate  it  with  pleasure,  and  to  conceive  of  it  as 
the  object  of  delight  and  of  trust,  we  must  behold  it  in 
union  with  other  perfections.  In  union  with  such  per¬ 
fections  it  subsists  in  the  blessed  God ;  for  he  is  as  infi¬ 
nite  in  knowledge  as  he  is  in  power.  More  clearly  does 
he  discern  his  own  eternity,  than  we  our  temporary  du¬ 
ration  :  more  perfectly  his  own  immensity,  than  we  our 
limited  condition  of  being  :  more  certainly  his  own 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


33 


extent  of  wisdom  and  power,  than  we  the  thought? 
of  our  own  minds. 

But  if  God  knows  himself,  he  must  know  a?so  the 
work  of  his  own  hands:  for  even  the  meanest  artificer, 
though  imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the 
materials  on  which  he  works,  knows  the  effects  of  his 
own  operations.  Since,  therefore,  from  the  greatest  to 
the  least,  from  the  utmost  circuit  of  heaven  to  the  cen 
tre  of  the  earth,  there  is  nothing  which  the  hand  of 
God  has  not  formed,  and  which  his  providence  does 
not  direct,  every  thing  must  be  thoroughly  known  to 
him.  Wherever  his  power  works,  there  his  understand¬ 
ing  must  discern.  The  vast  fabric,  therefore,  of  the 
universe,  with  all  its  laws  and  furniture,  with  all  events 
from  first  to  last,  are  known  unto  him.  The  innumer¬ 
able  host  of  sinless  angels,  and  the  world  of  fallen 
apostate  ones ;  the  long  progeny  of  mankind,  with  all 
the  thoughts,  desires  and  designs  that  have  been  in 
the  mind  of  each,  individual,  and  all  the  words  which 
have  ever  escaped  their  lips,  fall  under  his  continual 
notice.  He,  with  the  most  exact  and  infallible  compre¬ 
hension,  knows  all  the  active  principles  of  the  spirits 
he  has  formed ;  how  they  will  be  moved  upon  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  every  object  which  can  come  before  them;  in 
what  manner  they  will  act  upon  every  temptation 
which  can  try  them,  and  in  every  circumstance  in 
which  they  can  possibly  be  placed.*  These  ideas  of  the 
blessed  God  his  own  oracles  teach  us  to  conceive. 
"  The  ways  of  man  are  before  the  Lord,  and  he  ponder- 
eth  all  his  goings.  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in  every 
place :  he  looketh  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  seeth 
under  the  whole  heaven.  The  Lord  searcheth  all 
hearts,  and  understandeth  all  the  imaginations  of  the 
thoughts:  he  knoweth  the  things  that  come  into  our 
mind,  every  one  of  them.  There  is  not  any  creature 
that  is  not  manifest  in  his  sight ;  but  all  things  are 

2* 


34 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


naked  and  open  unto  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom  we 
have  to  do.” 

And  as  God  is  perfect  in  knowledge,  so  is  he  in  the 
attribute  of  wisdom ,  which  is  the  best  exercise  and  im¬ 
provement  of  knowledge.  By  virtue  of  this  quality  he 
superintends,  and  so  adjusts  all  the  parts  of  the  uni¬ 
verse,  that,  whatever  changes  any  of  them  may  under¬ 
go,  their  usefulness  and  connection  with  each  other 
may  be  uniformly  maintained.  By  the  exercise  of  the 
same  attribute  he  often  accomplishes  his  designs, 
through  means,  to  human  apprehension,  the  most  un¬ 
likely.  He  founds  the  manifestation  of  his  glory  upon 
what  a  depraved  world  despises  and  derides ;  and,  in 
the  glaring  weakness  of  his  agents,  perfects,  that  is, 
displays  his  own  praise.  He  entangles  the  rulers  of 
darkness  in  their  own  nets,  and  ruins  their  designs  by 
their  own  stratagems ;  the  greatest  cruelty  of  Satan 
and  his  instruments  he  makes  subservient  to  the  de¬ 
signs  of  his  mercy,  and  over-rules  even  the  apostacy  of 
Adam,  to  display  his  own  manifold  wisdom  to  angels  and 
to  men.  "  He  has  established  the  world  by  his  wisdom, 
and  stretched  out  the  heavens  by  his  discretion. — He  is 
wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent  in  working. — The 
foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men,  and  the  weakness 
of  God  is  stronger  than  men. — He  disappointeth  the 
devices  of  the  crafty,  so  that  they  cannot  perform  their 
enterprises. — His  counsels  stand  for  ever,  and  the 
thoughts  of  his  heart  from  generation  to  generation.” 

These  perfections,  called,  by  way  of  distinction,  the 
natural  perfections  of  God,  the  more  they  are  con¬ 
sidered  the  higher  must  they  raise  our  wonder  and 
astonishment.  Who  can  meditate  on  eternity,  omni¬ 
presence,  omniscience  and  almighty  power,  and  not 
feel  that  they  are  subjects  too  stupendous  for  any  cre¬ 
ated  understanding  to  grasp !  But  the  moral  perfec- 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


35 


tions  of  God  we  can  comprehend  with  greater  clear¬ 
ness.  And  it  is  in  respect  of  these,  that  God  claims 
from  us  the  highest  reverence,  fear,  love,  trust  and 
obedience. 

The  first  of  these  perfections  is  his  goodness.  By 
this  we  mean  that  principle  of  good  will,  by  virtue  of 
which  his  almighty  power  and  infinite  wisdom  are  ex¬ 
ercised  in  the  liberal  communication  of  happiness  to  his 
creatures.  His  bountiful  hand  supplies  their  wants,  and 
pours  out  his  benefits  upon  them  all.  He  makes  no 
other  distinction  than  what  necessarily  arises  from  the 
different  qualities  or  capacities  of  the  respective  ob¬ 
jects  ;  no  other  difference  than  what  his  own  most  per¬ 
fect  character  requires  should  be  made.  "  The  Lord,” 
saith  the  Scripture,  "  is  good  unto  all,  and  his  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works. — He  openeth  his  hand, 
and  satisfieth  every  living  thing. — He  is  the  Father  of 
mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort. — The  earth  is 
full  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord.”  So  strong  is  his 
goodness  in  its  propensity,  and  so  wide  in  its  extent, 
as  to  bless  not  simply  his  creatures,  but  even  rebels 
against  his  government,  and  enemies  to  his  truth.  "  He 
causeth  his  sun  to  shine,  and  his  rain  to  fall,  on  the 
evil  and  on  the  good,  on  the  unjust  as  well  as  on  the 
just. — He  endures,  with  much  long-suffering,  the  ves¬ 
sels  of  wrath  fitted  for  destruction.”  He  allures  them, 
and  encourages  their  return  to  him.  "  Let  the  wicked 
forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts, 
and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have 
mercy  upon  him;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundant¬ 
ly  pardon. — Come  now,”  says  he,  "  and  let  us  reason 
together  ;  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be 
as  white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 
they  shall  be  as  wool.”  And  lest  these  asseverations 
should  not  be  sufficient  to  remove  suspicions  of  his 
willingness  to  forgive  the  most  enormous  offenders, 

O  O  r 


36 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


when  they  turn  to  him ;  he  swears  by  himself,  "  As  I 
live,  saitli  the  Lord,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of 
him  that  dieth.”  And  that  all  the  generations  of  men, 
who  should  ever  receive  his  word,  might  form  the 
highest  conceptions  of  his  glorious  goodness,  he  pass¬ 
ed  before  Moses,  and  proclaimed  this  to  be  his  proper 
title,  "  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious, 
long-suffering  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth ; 
keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  trans¬ 
gression  and  sin.” 

But  lest  this  goodness  should  be  so  misconstrued  as 
to  diminish  our  apprehensions  of  the  evil  of  sin ;  lest  it 
should  lead  us  to  imagine,  that,  where  so  much  favor 
is  shown  to  the  workers  of  iniquity,  there  can  be  no 
abhorrence  of  it ;  the  Scripture  is  strong,  full  and  fre¬ 
quent  in  its  representations  of  the  holiness  of  God. 

By  his  holiness  is  meant  that  disposition  essential  to 
his  perfect  nature,  which  regards  the  honor  of  his  own 
divine  perfections;  and  which  therefore  opposes  the 
violation  of  his  pure  will,  or  the  resistance  of  his  just 

t 

government.  As  the  power  of  God  is  opposed  to  all 
natural  weakness,  and  his  wisdom  to  the  least  defect 
of  understanding  ;  so  is  his  holiness  opposed  to  all  mo¬ 
ral  imperfection  or  sin.  It  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a 
single  perfection,  but  rather  as  the  harmony  of  all  the 
attributes  of  God;  it  is  therefore  called  the  "beauty 
of  the  Lord.”  Psalm  27.  Separate  from  holiness,  all 
other  excellencies  of  the  divine  nature  would  be  inglo¬ 
rious.  His  wisdom  might  be  styled  subtilty :  his  power 
be  only  considered  as  dreadful.  On  this  account  those 
exalted  spirits  who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  glories 
of  the  divine  nature,  dwell  on  this  perfection.  The 
courts  of  heaven  resound  with  high  adoration  while 
they  cry,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts.” 
And  such  a  particular  regard  do  we  find  paid  to  this  at¬ 
tribute  by  the  blessed  God  himself,  that  he  swears  by 


SCULPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


37 


it  in  confirmation  of  the  promises  of  grace :  Once 
have  I  sworn  by  my  holiness,  that  I  will  not  lie  unto 
David."  Psalm,  89  :  35. 

Connected  with  this  divine  perfection  of  holiness  in 
God,  is  the  continual  notice  he  takes  of  the  conduct  of 
each  individual  towards  himself  and  his  law.  On  this 
part  of  his  character  the  necessity  of  our  absolute  sub¬ 
jection  depends.  For  were  God  either  ignorant  of 
what  is  done  by  men  on  earth,  or  did  he  judge  it  insig¬ 
nificant,  we  should  have  no  more  cause  to  retain  any 
awe  of  him  upon  our  minds,  or  to  impose  any  restraint 
upon  ourselves,  than  if  there  were  no  God.  It  is  not 
the  existence  of  a  God,  but  his  moral  government  of 
the  world,  that  calls  for  our  fear,  and  should  excite  us 
to  obedience.  To  take  away,  therefore,  all  ground  of 
suspecting  any  inattention  in  our  Creator  to  our  be¬ 
havior,  arising  from  his  own  infinite  greatness,  and  our 
being  less  than  nothing,  compared  to  him — to  root  out 
this  pernicious  opinion,  which  the  desire  of  sinning 
with  impunity  might  lead  us  to  cherish ;  the  glorious 
God  teaches  us  to  conceive  of  him  as  taking  the  most 
exact  cognizance  of  all  our  inward  tempers,  no  less 
than  our  outward  deportment,  and  that  with  an  un¬ 
changeable  purpose  to  deal  with  us  accordingly.  In 
the  nervous  language  of  his  own  inspired  penmen, 
His  eves  behold,  and  his  eve-lids  try  the  children  of 
men. — The  Lord  is  a  God  of  knowledge,  by  him  actions 
are  weighed. — I,  the  Lord,  search  the  heart,  I  try  the 
reins,  even  to  give  to  even*  man  according  to  his  ways, 
and  according  to  the  fruit  of  his  doings." 

And  lest,  from  the  present  outward  prosperity  of  the 
wicked,  any  should  be  unreasonable  and  base  enough 
to  conclude  that  God  is  not  such  an  exact  observer  of 
our  behavior  respecting  himself  and  his  law,  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  are  full  of  this  alarming  truth,  which  entirely  re¬ 
moves  the  objection:  that  "God  will  bring  every  work 


38 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


into  judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad — that  he  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  he 
will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness — that  every  man 
shall  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  whether  they 
be  good  or  bad.” 

But  it  is  not  only  at  the  conclusion  of  this  world’s  du¬ 
ration,  and  in  the  day  of  universal  judgment,  that  God 
makes  a  difference  between  those  that  serve  him,  and 
those  that  refuse  subjection  to  his  laws.  God  repre¬ 
sents  himself  as  continually  exercising  peculiar  and  dis¬ 
tinguishing  love  to  his  faithful  and  obedient  people, 
whilst  he  is  insupportably  terrible  to  his  obstinate  op 
posers.  He  is  not  content  with  giving  to  the  former 
assurances  of  his  good  will  towards  them,  and  of  their 
future  glory  in  the  eternal  world :  he  declares  that  he 
will  maintain  with  them,  even  here,  an  intercourse  of 
the  most  delightful  kind.  He  will  give  them  such  views 
of  the  glory  of  his  nature,  the  excellency  of  his  truth, 
and  the  tenderness  of  his  love,  as  the  ungodly  and  care¬ 
less  neither  know  nor  can  conceive.  In  every  season 
of  extraordinary  temptation,  he  is  secretly  enduing 
their  souls  with  strength,  and  giving  them  power  to 
come  from  every  combat  triumphing  in  conquest,  and 
from  every  trial  enriched  with  more  grace.  A  conside¬ 
rable  part  of  Scripture  is  taken  up  with  representing 
the  peculiar  favor  and  loving-kindness  of  God  to  his 
faithful  servants.  A  few  passages  will  give  us  just  con¬ 
ceptions  of  this  part  of  the  character  of  the  most  high 
God  :  ”  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  the  righteous, 
and  his  ear  is  open  to  their  cry. — The  steps  of  a  good 
man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord,  and  he  delighteth  in  his 
way — though  he  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down ; 
for  the  Lord  upholdeth  him  with  his  hand, — for  the 
Lord  loveth  judgment,  and  forsaketh  not  his  saints, 
they  are  preserved  for  ever. — The  Lord  is  a  light  and 
defence,  he  will  give  grace  and  glory,  and  no  good 


SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 


39 


thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that  lead  a  godly  life. — 
The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him,  and 
he  will  show  them  his  covenant. — The  Lord  sitteth 
above  the  water-floods,  the  Lord  remaineth  a  king  for 
ever. — The  Lord  will  give  strength  unto  his  people ; 
the  Lord  will  give  his  people  the  blessing  of  peace. — 
No  weapon  that  is  formed  against  thee  shall  prosper: 
and  every  tongue  that  shall  rise  against  thee  in  judg¬ 
ment  thou  slialt  condemn. — This  is  the  heritage  of  the 
servants  of  the  Lord,  and  their  righteousness  is  of  me, 
saith  the  Lord.” 

The  substance  of  these  inestimable  mercies  is  most 
emphatically  expressed  in  the  New  Testament,  and  con¬ 
firmed  afresh,  as  the  portion  of  all  true  believers.  "  If  a 
man  love  me,”  saith  our  Lord,  ”  he  will  keep  my  words  ; 
and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto 
him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him.”  The  enjoyment 
of  such  a  peculiar  manifestation  of  God’s  love  is  used 
by  the  inspired  St.  Paul  as  a  most  cogent  argument  to 
engage  men,  even  at  a  time  of  extreme  peril  and  ap¬ 
proaching  persecution,  to  forsake  the  idolatrous  religion 
of  their  parents  :  "  Wherefore,”  saith  he,  "  come  out 
from  among  them,  and  he  ye  separate,  and  touch  not 
the  unclean  thing ;  and  I  will  receive  you,  and  be  a  Fa¬ 
ther  unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters, 
saith  the  Lord  Almighty.” 

Weigh  well  the  import  of  these  declarations  of  favor 
to  the  children  of  God,  and  you  will  see,  in  the  clearest 
light,  how  much  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  regards 
the  conduct  of  every  individual  of  mankind  who  faith¬ 
fully  receives  his  truth.  He  is  not  ashamed  to  call  him¬ 
self,  in  every  instance,  the  friend  of  such,  their  portion, 
their  father,  their  exceeding  great  reward.  He  is  not 
ashamed  to  engage  his  own  word  and  oath  that  he  will 
never  leave  them  nor  forsake  them ;  but,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  that  he  will  crown  all  his  goodness  towards  them 


40 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAM. 


here,  by  calling  them  up  hereafter  into  his  immediate 
presence  and  glory. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  as  striking  a  demonstration 
of  the  notice  which  God  takes  of  men’s  practice  and 
deportment,  that  he  will  punish  in  the  most  awful  man¬ 
ner  those  who  are  enemies  to  his  government  and  des¬ 
pise  his  authority.  Hear  in  what  terms  he  proclaims 
his  hatred  of  iniquity  and  his  unchangeable  purpose 
to  execute  vengeance  upon  sinners  ;  and  doubt,  if  you 
can,  whether  God  is  concerned  to  maintain  his  own 
honor  :  "  The  Lord  your  God,  is  God  ok  gods,  and  Lord 
of  lords,  a  great  God,  a  mighty  and  a  terrible,  which  re- 
gardeth  not  persons,  nor  taketh  rewards. — If  I  whet  my 
glittering  sword,  and  my  hand  lay  hold  on  judgment,  I 
will  render  vengeance  to  my  enemies,  and  will  reward 
them  that  hate  me. — I  will  make  my  arrows  drunk  with 
blood. — The  adversaries  of  the  Lord  shall  be  broken  to 
pieces,  out  of  heaven  shall  he  thunder  upon  them. — God 
is  angry  with  the  wicked  every  day.  If  he  turn  not,  he 
will  whet  his  sword :  he  hath  bent  his  bow,  and  made  it 
ready. — Upon  the  ungodly  he  shall  rain  snares,  fire  and 
brimstone,  and  an  horrible  tempest ;  this  shall  be  their 
portion  to  drink  : — for  the  righteous  Lord  loveth  righ¬ 
teousness,  his  countenance  will  behold  the  thing  that  is 
just. — The  Lord  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  cha 
riots,  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  his  anger  with  fury, 
and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire ;  for  by  fire  and  by 
his  sword  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all  flesh,  and  the 
slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  many. — And  they  shall  go 
forth,  and  look  upon  the  men  that  have  transgressed 
against  me  ;  for  their  worm  shall  not  die,  neither  shall 
their  fire  be  quenched,  and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring 
unto  all  flesh.” 

To  comment  on  these  nervous  expressions  would  be 
to  enfeeble  them.  To  suppose  them  figurative  expres¬ 
sions,  in  such  a  sense  as  not  most  emphatically  to  affirm 


-**.*■-  ♦  *  V 

•  *  w  * 

■A 

SCRIPTURE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD. 

God’s  utter  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  his  determined  pur¬ 
pose  to  cast  into  hell  those  who  die  in  their  sins,  is,  in 
fact,  to  contradict  them.  Instead  of  cavilling  at  them, 
or  vainly  endeavoring  to  explain  them  away,  let  us  re¬ 
ceive  them  with  awe  and  fear.  This  is  the  end  which 
they  are  intended  to  produce.  "  Hear  ye,  and  give  ear. 
for  the  Lord  hath  spoken:  behold,  I  will  execute  judg¬ 
ment  ;  vengeance  is  mine,  I  will  repay.” 

If  any  additional  proof  were  wanting  to  confute  the 
false  and  dangerous  opinion  of  those  who  vainly  sup¬ 
pose  the  Deity  to  be  all  mercy ;  and  who  pretend  to  be 
shocked  at  the  notion  of  a  God  who  will  not  let  the 
wicked  pass  unpunished  ;  it  may  be  derived  from  the 
attestations  of  our  Savior.  Yes,  the  only-begotten  of  the 
Father,  who  cannot  deceive,  who  has  shown  the  per¬ 
fection  of  benevolence  towards  sinners,  since  he  laid 
down  his  life  for  them  on  the  cross,  has  confirmed,  by 
his  own  declarations,  all  the  denunciations  of  wrath 
above-mentioned.  He  declares  that  in  the  last  day  all 
nations  shall  be  'gathered  before  him,  and  at  that  most 
solemn  time,  in  the  hearing  of  the  whole  rational  crea¬ 
tion,  he  will  say  to  all  them  on  the  left  hand,  that  is,  to 
the  vast  multitudes  of  obstinate  and  incorrigible  sin¬ 
ners,  "  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels.” 


; 


42 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


OF  GOD— continued, 

\  * 

THE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 

In  our  last  chapter  we  have  the  character  of  God 
given  by  his  own  inspired  penmen.  We  have  seen 
that  they  represent  him  as  a  Being  merciful  and  yet 
just  5  merciful,  even  abounding  in  grace  towards  his 
obedient  children ;  but  just  to  those  who  despise  him, 
in  bringing  upon  them  all  the  curses  written  in  his 
book.  By  this  disposition  towards  both,  he  appears  in¬ 
finitely  holy  and  reverend,  and  his  character  gives  the 
greatest  encouragement  to  the  exercise  of  faith  in  his 
name,  and  to  the  practice  of  righteousness  for  his  sake. 

But  if  the  character  of  God  were  only  marked  out  to 
us  by  his  own  declarations,  we  should  be  apt  (such  is 
our  nature)  to  be  only  faintly  impressed  by  it.  To  give 
it  weight  to  regulate  our  practice,  it  is  made  still  more 
conspicuous  by  actions.  His  providence  abounds  with 
facts,  established  upon  such  authority  that  we  can  no 
more  question  their  truth,  than  if  with  our  own  eyes 
we  had  seen  them  performed ;  facts  expressive  of  the 
very  same  perfections  in  God  which  his  word  declares 
he  possesses.  The  method  of  his  procedure,  both  with 
angels  and  men,  is  an  additional  and  the  strongest  con¬ 
firmation  possible  that  he  is  good,  merciful  and  holy ; 
that  he  abounds  in  love  towards  his  faithful  people,  but 
is  the  dreadful  avenger  of  iniquity. 

With  respect  to  the  goodness  of  God,  it  shines  forth 
in  all  the  excellencies  which  angels  possess,  and  all  the 
bliss  they  inherit,  who  have  never  fallen  from  God,  nor 


CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 


43 


left  that  glorious  habitation  he  of  his  bounty  provided 
for  them. 

On  man,  as  he  came  immediately  out  of  the  hands  of 
his  Creator,  and  whilst  he  stood  in  his  first  estate,  the 
signatures  of  the  divine  goodness  were  so  strongly  im¬ 
pressed  as  to  excite  envy  in  one  who  had  himself  expe¬ 
rienced  the  happiness  of  angels.  Adam  was  created 
full  of  light  and  knowledge,  of  purity  and  peace,  of  de¬ 
light  and  blessedness.  He  was  formed  in  the  image  of 
God:  he  was  invested  with  dominion  over  the  animal 
creation.  He  was  not  only  conscious  of  the  favor  of 
his  infinitely  powerful  and  beneficent  Creator,  but  he 
was  admitted  to  hold  personal  communion  with  him. 
Thus  was  he  made  only  a  little  lower  than  the  angels 
themselves,  who  shouted  for  joy  at  the  display  of  the 
goodness  of  God,  manifested  in  the  happiness  of  man. 
In  this  state  of  perfection  Adam  stood :  he  was  put  in 
possession  of  it  for  himself  and  all  his  progeny;  inca¬ 
pable  of  forfeiting  or  diminishing  it  but  by  his  own 
wilful  apostacy. 

Now  who  can  consider  this  account  of  man’s  original 
happiness,  and  not  admire  the  benevolence  of  Him  who 
was  the  author  of  it  1  Who  can  survey  the  riches  of 
the  inheritance  provided  for  Adam,  compared  to  which 
the  glory  of  Solomon  was  but  the  wretchedness  of  a 
captive  exile,  and  not  adore  the  infinite  goodness  of 
the  Creator  1 

Again ;  when  Adam,  through  the  envy  and  malice  of 
the  devil,  operating  in  a  manner  too  mysterious  for  us 
to  comprehend,  revolted  from  his  Maker,  and  requited 
his  bounty  with  the  execrable  insult  of  believing  Satan 
to  be  a  better  friend  to  his  welfare  than  God ;  though 
the  hideous  deed  could  not  but  draw  innumerable  mi¬ 
series  after  it ;  yet,  even  then,  behold,  the  goodness  of 
God  shined  brighter  than  it  did  even  at  the  first  crea¬ 
tion,  and  "where  sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more 


44. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


abound.”  God  instantly  revives  our  most  criminal  and 
desponding  parents  with  a  promise  of  salvation.  He 
promises,  O  astonishing  love !  to  send  an  invincible 
Deliverer  into  the  world,  even  his  own  Son!  To  send 
him  into  the  world :  not  to  receive  the  worship  due 
unto  his  name ;  not  to  be  adored  by  every  heart,  as  the 
only-begotten:  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth: 
but  to  be  defamed  as  a  confederate  with  Satan,  cruci¬ 
fied  as  a  blasphemer,  and  to  die,  being  made  a  curse 
for  us.  "  Herein  is  love  !  not  that  we  loved  God,  but 
that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins.”  Could  God  say  of  his  most  corrupt  and 
idolatrous  people,  "  How  shall  I  give  thee  up,  Ephraim  ! 
How  shall  I  deliver  thee,  Israel  1  My  heart  is  turned 
within  me,  my  repentings  are  kindled  together!”  What 
then  must  be  the  workings  of  his  love  towards  his  own 
Son,  the  perfect  image  of  himself,  when  he  "  delivered 
him  up  for  our  offences  1”  when  he  seemed,  as  it  were, 
to  divest  himself  of  the  qualities  of  a  father  towards  his 
son,  and  for  our  sakes  to  assume  the  severe  character 
of  a  judge.  Herein  God  commendeth  his  love  ;  he 
places  it  in  the  most  advantageous  point  of  light  in 
which  it  can  possibly  be  seen  by  angels  or  by  men,  "  in 
that  while  we  were  yet  sinners  Christ  died  for  us.” 
The  conclusion  resulting  from  this  amazing  demonstra¬ 
tion  of  goodness  and  mercy — the  sending  of  his  Son, 
"  to  suffer,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  and  to  bear  our  sins 
in  his  own  body  on  the  tree” — is  irresistible:  "  He 
that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up 
for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  freely  give  us 
all  things!” 

And  as  the  great  God  has  thus  by  his  actions  proved 
himself  to  be  good  and  merciful,  so  has  he-  in  the  same 
way  demonstrated  that  he  is  a  holy  God.  For  once,  his 
word  informs  us,  there  was  war  in  heaven,  Satan  and 
his  angels  rising  up  in  enmity  against  their  Maker 


CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 


45 


The  criminals,  from  the  brightness  of  glory  which  they 
possessed,  were  called  "  stars  of  heaven  $”  Pev.  12  :  4. 
yet.  no  sooner  did  they  sin  than  they  were  stripped  of 
all  their  honors,  and  clothed  with  shame  and  everlast¬ 
ing  contempt :  from  the  height  of  happiness  they  were 
plunged  into  an  abyss  of  misery :  between  them  and 
God  an  impassable  gulf  was  fixed,  so  that  no  means 
of  reconciliation  will  be  ever  found,  no  terms  of  peace 
ever  offered  to  them.  "  God,”  saith  St.  Peter,  "  spared 
not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell, 
and  delivered  them  into  chains  of  darkness,  to  he  re¬ 
served  unto  judgment.”  This  single  fact  is  a  sufficient 
demonstration  that  the  Lord  our  God  is  holy.  For 
should  a  king,  famed  for  wisdom  and  for  mercy,  com¬ 
mand  persons  of  the  first  distinction  around  his  throne 
to  be  cast  into  dungeons,  and  loaded  with  fetters,  re¬ 
fusing  ever  to  look  on  them  again  with  favor,  or  hear  a 
word  in  mitigation  of  their  punishment,  must  not  all 
his  subjects  conclude  their  offence  was  most  detest¬ 
able  1  And  can  we  draw  any  other  conclusion,  when 
we  read  that  the  God  who  delighteth  in  mercy  has,  in 
the  greatness  of  his  displeasure,  cast  down  from  their 
thrones,  where  his  own  hand  had  placed  them,  so  many 
shining  angels, 'and  made  them  examples,  suffering  the 
vengeance  of  eternal  fire  1 

Another  display  of  the  holiness  of  God,  in  which  all 
the  children  of  men  have  been  deeply  interested,  is  the 
execution  of  the  punishment  threatened  to  Adam — our 
first  father.  The  threat  was,  that  upon  disobedience  he 
should  immediately  suffer  death.  This  death  consisted 
in  the  loss  of  the  image  of  God,  in  which  he  was  crea¬ 
ted  :  his  body,  after  some  years  spent  in  toil  and  sor¬ 
row,  returning  to  the  dust  from  whence  it  was  taken ; 
and  his  soul,  unless  renewed  after  the  image  of  God, 
enduring  the  pains  of  eternal  death.  The  latter  part  of 
the  penalty,  we  trust,  he  escaped  through  the  Mediator 


46 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


so  graciously  revealed  to  him ;  but  of  the  accomplish-^ 
ment  of  the  former  part  we,  alas,  are  witnesses  at  this 
very  hour.  For  what  have  we,  in  the  place  of  Adam’s 
original  power,  hut  weakness  and  helplessness  1  What, 
for  his  divine  light  and  knowledge,  but  brutish  igno¬ 
rance  1  What,  instead  of  his  peace  and  communion 
with  God,  but  natural  dislike  to  him,  and  guilty  fears 
about  his  intentions  concerning  us  1  What,  instead  of 
his  perfect  purity,  but  a  heart  so  deceitful,  and  so  des¬ 
perately  wicked  that  God  alone  can  know  it  1  And,  in 
the  place  of  an  Eden,  contrived  by  infinite  wisdom  for 
delight  and  spiritual  happiness,  what  but  a  world  of 
confusion  and  sin,  a  field  of  battle,  a  vale  of  misery ! 

If  you  ask  whence  comes  this  total  reverse  of  cir¬ 
cumstances  between  the  first  man  in  innocence  and  his 

,  v 

posterity  I  God,  who  in  justice  ordained  it,  gives  you 
this  awful  account  of  it :  "  By  the  offence  of  one,  judg¬ 
ment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation.  By  one 
man’s  disobedience,  many  were  made  sinners.”  Ponder 
this  in  your  heart,  and  you  will  not  be  fible  to  refrain 
from  crying  out,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  of 
hosts.” 

Further,  the  dreadful  execution  of  God’s  wrath  upon 
all  the  world  puts  the  holiness  of  his  nature  beyond 
dispute.  Before  the  death,  even  of  all  the  children  of 
those  who  saw  Adam,  for  his  sin,  an  outcast  from  Para¬ 
dise,  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  are  broken  upt 
the  windows  of  heaven  are  open  to  destroy  the  whole 
human  race  then  upon  earth,  except  eight  persons. 
And  lest  this  destruction  should  not  be  judged  the  act 
and  deed  of  God  himself,  as  the  holy  Governor  of  the 
world,  and  as  a  punishment  for  its  sin,  hear  the  God  of 
all  mercy,  the  giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  the 
Father  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  hear  him  declaring  his 
awful  purpose  and  assigning  its  cause  :  "  And  God  saw 
that  the  wickedness  of  man  was  great  in  the  earth 


CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 


47 


I 

it  repented  the  Lord  that  he  had  made  man,  and  it 
grieved  him  at  his  heart.  And  the  Lord  said,  I  will  de¬ 
stroy  man  whom  I  have  created  from  the  face  of  the 
earth,  both  man  and  beast,  and  the  creeping  thing,  and 
the  fowls  of  the  air,  for  it  repenteth  me  that  I  have 
made  them.” 

There  is  yet  one  fact  more,  so  demonstrative  of  the 
holiness  of  God,  as  to  eclipse  the  destruction  of  the 
antediluvian  world,  the  fall  of  man,  the  ruin  of  the  apos¬ 
tate  angels.  In  all  these  cases  the  sufferers  were  first 
actual  transgressors  and  rebels  against  God.  But  if  you 
look  to  the  cross  of  Christ ,  there  you  will  see  the  Be¬ 
loved  of  the  Father,  one  infinitely  more  holy  than  the 
holiest  of  the  angels  in  heaven,  "  set  forth  by  God  to  be 
a  propitiation  for  sin,  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  de¬ 
clare  his  righteousness,  for  the  remission  of  sins  that 
are  past,  that  he  might  be  just,”  might  appear  to  the 
eyes  of  men  and  angels  glorious  ill  holiness  or  justice, 
"  and  yet  the  justifier  of  them  that  believe  in  Jesus.” 

We  have  appealed,  and  must  doubtless  again  and 
again  appeal  to  the  death  of  Jesus  upon  the  cross,  since 
this  marvellous  fact,  considered  in  different  views,  af¬ 
fords  the  strongest  proof  of  various  perfections  in  God 
At  present  it  is  urged  in  demonstration  of  God’s  infinite 
hatred  of  sin.  And  in  this  light  it  may  be  well  illus¬ 
trated  by  a  passage  of  sacred  history.  In  the  book  of 
Kings  we  read  that  the  Moabites  fled  before  the  kings 
of  Israel  and  Judah,  and  after  a  great  slaughter  were 
forced  with  their  king  to  retire  into  their  city.  Here 
the  king,  finding  himself  besieged  and  reduced  to  the 
last  extremity,  had  recourse  to  an  astonishing  act  to 
show  his  distress  and  his  indignation  against  Israel.  He 
took  his  eldest  son,  the  heir  of  his  kingdom,  and  in  the 
sight  of  his  enemies  offered  him  up  for  a  burnt-offering 
upon  the  wall.  The  action  succeeded  to  his  wish  ;  the 
kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  were  amazed  and  confounded 


48 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


at  the  fury  which  urged  him  to  such  a  deed,  and  re¬ 
turned  immediately  with  haste  to  their  own  country,  as 
if  pursued  by  a  conqueror. 

Now  this  example,  taken  in  one  point  of  view,  may 
be  applied  to  illustrate  the  subject  before  us.  For  the 
eternal  Father,  having  used  promises  and  threatenings, 
judgments  and  mercies,  and  still  seeing  our  sins  reach 
up  to  heaven,  besieging,  as  it  were,  his  almighty  throne, 
expresses  infinite  indignation  against  sin.  He  takes  his 
only-begotten  Son,  the  heir  of  all  things,  the  express 
image  of  his  person,  and  in  the  hearing  of  heaven  and 
earth  he  cries  out,  "Awake,  0  sword!  and  smite  my 
shepherd,  the  man  that  is  my  fellow,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts.”  Should  not  we,  then,  always  remembering  the 
death  of  his  only-begotten  Son  for  our  transgressions, 
smite  upon  our  breasts  and  go  and  sin  no  more  1 
Should  not  we  serve  God  acceptably  with  reverence 
and  godly  fear ;  feeling,  from  this  fact,  that  to  impeni¬ 
tent  sinners  our  God  will  be  a  consuming  fire  1 

In  the  last  chapter  we  produced  from  Scripture  many 
declarations  of  the  peculiar  love  exercised  by  God  to¬ 
wards  each  individual  that  walks  before  him  faithfully. 
For  instances  to  illustrate  these  we  may  appeal  to  the 
history  of  his  providence  from  the  earliest  ages.  Enoch, 
the  seventh  in  the  line  of  direct  descent  from  Adam, 
because  he  was  unconquerably  attached  to  the  truth 
and  authority  of  God,  in  the  midst  of  his  rebellious 
kindred,  is  taken  from  them  in  a  way  which  at  once 
immortalizes  his  name,  and  proclaims  the  love  which 
God  bears  to  his  saints.  Before  this  fact  could  grow 
faint  or  obscure  Noah  is  lifted  un  to  our  observation, 
like  the  ark  in  which  he  was  preserved,  for  an  everlast¬ 
ing  memorial,  that  in  the  most  desolating  judgments 
the  care  of  each  individual  saint  is  with  the  most  High. 
In  the  case  of  righteous  Lot  the  same  distinguishing 
love  of  God  is  aorain  manifested.  And  two  assertions 

O 


CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 


49 


are  made  by  God  upon  this  occasion,  which  are  most 
expressive  of  his  character  towards  his  faithful  people  : 
the  one  is,  that  Sodom  itself  should  have  been  spared 
for  the  sake  of  only  ten  righteous,  if  but  so  small  a 
number  had  been  found  within  its  walls.  The  other  is, 
that  Lot  is  hurried  away  from  thence  with  this  decla¬ 
ration,  a Haste  thee,  escape;  for  I  cannot  do  any  thing 
till  thou  be  come  thither.” 

And  in  what  other  light  than  as  confirmations  of  the 
character  of  God — that  .he  approveth  the  way  of  the 
righteous,  and  hath  in  all  ages  the  most  tender  and  af¬ 
fectionate  regard  for  their  welfare, — are  we  to  consider 
the  surprising  history  of  the  faithful  Joseph  1  The  fa¬ 
vor  showed  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the 
son  of  Jephunneh,  and  to  them  only  of  all  Israel  who 
came  out  of  Egypt  1  Or  the  remarkable  and  numerous 
deliverances  of  David  from  the  snares  and  persecutions 
of  Saul  1  In  what  other  way  are  we  to  improve  Elijah’s 
miraculous  ascension  into  heaven,  before  the  eyes  of 
his  successor  in  office,  the  prophet  Elisha  1  What  other 
conclusion  are  we  to  draw  from  the  preservation  of 
Daniel  in  the  den  of  lions ;  and  of  Shadrach,  Meshach 
and  Abednego  in  the  fiery  furnace  1  What  are  these 
but  witnesses  chosen  of  God,  and  held  up  to  notice  by 
miracles  wrought  in  their  favor,  that  every  obedient 
servant  of  God,  who  copies  the  pattern  they  set  before 
him,  might  know  he  is,  as  certainly  as  they  were,  the 
object  of  God’s  singular  care  and  special  love  \  And 
though  we  see  not  now  the  course  of  nature  over-ruled 
for  the  deliverance  of  the  faithful,  still  the  compre¬ 
hensive  promise  of  the  unchangeable  God  abideth  sure  • 
"  He  knoweth  them  that  are  his,”  and  will  "  make  ail 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  him.” 

Nor  are  the  facts  which  attest  God’s  utter  hatred  of 
the  sin  of  each  individual  few  in  number  or  of  doubt¬ 
ful  import.  On  the  contrary,  the  record  of  his  actions 

3 


Duty  of  Man. 


50 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


furnishes  us  with  many  awful  instances  of  the  imme¬ 
diate  execution  of  justice  on  daring  offenders.  There 
is  scarcely  a  sin  which  has  not  been  singled  out  as  the 
object  of  his  wrathful  displeasure.  Thus  Ham,  that 
could  mock  his  father,  surprised  by  accident  into  intoxi¬ 
cation,  is  accursed :  Lot’s  wife,  full  of  worldly  cares, 
and  looking  back  upon  the  loss  of  her  property  with 
regret  and  repining,  is  turned  into  a  pillar  of  salt.  Envy 
and  aspiring  pride  bring  down  immediate  destruction 
upon  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram.  In  Achan’s  fate  and 
in  Gehazi’s  leprosy,  we  see  how  God  abhorreth  the  co¬ 
vetous.  Behold,  thou  infamous  advocate  for  fornica¬ 
tion,  the  javelin  of  Phineas  avenging  God’s  quarrel  upon 
Zimri  and  Cosbi  his  paramour :  renounce  thy  fond  con¬ 
ceit  that  this  sin  will  not  be  judged  by  God ;  for  see, 
three-and-twenty  thousand  persons  are  cut  off  by  him 
for  it  in  one  day.  Be  astonished  at  the  patience  of  God 
towards  thee,  thou  false  and  lying  tongue,  when  thou 
readest  that  Ananias  and  Sapphira  perished  with  the 
breath  of  falsehood  in  their  lips !  Take  notice,  thou  de- 
spiser  of  Jesus,  of  the  doom  of  thy  fellow-criminal  Ely- 
mas  the  sorcerer,  and  of  the  judicial  blindness  with 
which  he  was  smitten  while  he  perverted  the  way  of 
truth.  Lnderstand,  ye  vain  and  haughty,  from  the  igno 
minious  death  of  Herod,  that  a  proud  heart  is  an  abomi¬ 
nation  to  the  Lord,  and  that  self-exaltation  on  account 
of  gifts  or  pre-eminence  of  any  kind  is  what  he  cannot 
endure :  for  behold,  the  royal  deified  orator,  after  the 
shout  of  blasphemous  applause  from  the  multitude,  is 
immediately  smitten  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  "  be¬ 
cause  he  gave  not  God  the  glory:  and  he  was  eaten  of 
worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost.” 

All  these  instances,  and  many  more  recited  in  Scrip¬ 
ture,  prove  with  irresistible  force,  that  wherever  envy 
or  malice,  covetousness  or  pride,  profaneness,  impurity, 
or  any  temper  opposite  to  the  law  of  God  prevails,  there 


CHARACTER  OF  GOB  EXEMPLIFIED. 


51 


the  wrath  of  God  abideth ;  and  there,  unless  they  are 
vanquished  before  death,  must  it  abide  for  ever. 

Such  in  his  natural  and  moral  perfections,  such,  in 
his  government  and  providence  towards  the  whole  ra¬ 
tional  creation,  is  the  true  God.  And  that  there  is  only 
one  God,  who  is  in  all,  and  through  all,  and  over  all, 
the  Scripture  is  most  express.  "  I,  even  I  am  he,  and 
there  is  no  God  with  me.  Before  me  there  was  no  God 
formed,  neither  shall  there  be  after  me.  I  am  the  first, 
and  I  am  the  last,  and  besides  me  there  is  no  God.” 
But  then  the  same  Scripture  teaches  us,  that  this  unity 
of  God  is  not  an  unity  of  person,  but  of  essence,  in 
which  the  Son  and  the  Spirit  are  comprehended,  in 
glory  equal,  in  majesty  co-eternal  with  the  Father. 
Without  controversy  great  is  this  mystery  of  godliness. 
It  must,  however,  be  received:  because  the  Scripture 
ascribes  those  very  perfections,  in  which  the  nature  of 
God  surpasses  that  of  created  beings,  to  the  Son  and 
the  Spirit.  Eternity,  omnipresence,  infinite  knowledge 
and  uncontrollable  power,  are  represented  to  belong  to 
them:  they  therefore,  with  the  Father,  are  to  be  wor¬ 
shipped  and  glorified.  This  God,  the  Father,  the  Son 
and  the  Spirit,  is  the  God  of  the  Christian.  Whilst 
Jews  abhor  this  mystery,  whilst  Mohammedans  perse¬ 
cute  it  as  an  abomination,  whilst  the  self-conceited  re¬ 
ject  it  with  disdain,  the  Christian  church,  acquiescing  in 
the  plain  word  of  God,  and  satisfied  with  his  declara¬ 
tions,  dedicates  herself  to  the  sacred  Three  in  One. 
She  continually  concludes  her  public  worship  with  pro¬ 
fessing  her  desire  to  partake  of  the  distinct  and  differ¬ 
ent  blessings  which  are  imparted  to  the  church  from 
each  of  these  sacred  Three,  entreating  that  the  "  love 
of  God  the  Father,  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  may  be  with 
us  all.” 


52 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Having  thus  concluded  our  inquiries  into  the  nature 
and  perfections  of  the  Most  High  God,  as  they  are  de¬ 
lineated  in  Scripture,  it  remains  that  we  should  examine 
and  prove  ourselves,  whether  our  idea  of  God  he  a  faith¬ 
ful  copy  of  the  Scripture  pattern  1  Let  us  try  whether 
we  do  not  remain  in  gross  and  fatal  ignorance  of  his 
real  character,  notwithstanding  the  complete  manner  in 
which  he  has  revealed  himself  in  his  own  most  holy 
word.  Take  it  by  no  means  for  granted  that  you  really 
possess  the  knowledge  of  God ;  for  thousands  who  are 
utterly  destitute  of  it,  who  entertain  notions  of  his  cha¬ 
racter  which  are  abominable  in  his  sight,  thus  flatter 
themselves  to  their  own  ruin.  Search,  therefore,  and 
see  whether  you  heartily  acknowledge  God  to  be  what 
he  has  declared  that  he  is,  in  those  particulars  in  which 
pride,  the  love  of  sin  or  unbelief,  are  most  apt  to  mis¬ 
represent  his  real  character. 

For  instance;  do  you  look  upon  God  as  bearing  that 
perfect  abhorrence  of  iniquity  which  the  Bible  affirms 
he  does!  Is  it  a  truth  steadfastly  fixed  in  your  mind, 
that  God  is  not  cruel  to  the  work  of  his  own  hands, 
though  he  doom  every  soul  of  man  dying  in  sin  to  feel 
for  ever  the  weight  of  his  indignation  !  Do  you  confess 
from  the  heart,  that  the  sanctions  of  his  government  are 
full  of  righteousness  and  glory,  though  they  assure  you 
that,  to  every  hypocrite  and  unbeliever,  ”  our  God  is  a 
consuming  fire!” 

Again :  try  yourself  whether  you  are  firmly  per¬ 
suaded  that  the  God  whom  you  worship  is  a  support 
and  defence  to  every  one  that  believeth  on  the  name  of 
his  Son  with  an  obedient  heart!  Are  you  sure  that  the 
high  and  lofty  One  who  inhabiteth  eternity,  humbleth 
himself  to  watch  every  moment  over  each  individual  of 
the  faithful  for  good,  and  careth  for  every  one  of  that 
character  at  all  times,  as  a  wise  father  doth  for  the  son 
that  serveth  him  !  Do  you  believe  it  as  a  most  certain 


CHARACTER  OF  GOD  EXEMPLIFIED. 


53 


truth,  that  God  doth  indeed  dwell  with  men;  and  that 
he  giveth  to  all  that  are  living,  according  to  his  will, 
such  peace  and  consolation  as  the  world,  knoweth  not. 
Finally,  try  yourself,  whether  you  have  affecting  views 
of  the  love  of  God,  as  it  manifests  itself  in  the  person 
and  offices  of  the  Redeemer,  in  the  influences  of  the 
Spirit,  and  in  that  communion  which  God  thus  holds 
with  all  his  faithful  people. 

By  such  inquiries  as  these,  honestly  made,  your  real 
knowledge  or  your  ignorance  of  the  God  of  whom  the 
Bible  speaks,  will  be  discovered  to  yourself.  It  is  in 
these  important  points  that  God  has  made  that  revela¬ 
tion  of  himself  and  of  his  conduct  towards  us,  which 
the  world  by  wisdom  could  never  have  discovered. 
And  in  the  same  proportion  as  God’s  own  representa¬ 
tion  of  himself  and  of  his  designs  is  believed,  you  will 
really  be  enriched  by  the  knowledge  of  him.  Such  a 
knowledge  is  inestimable :  it  possesses  virtue  to  heal 
the  corrupted  mind  of  man,  and  energy  to  support  it 
amidst  numerous  trials,  and  to  keep  it  firm  in  the 
exercise  of  duty ;  it  is  this  knowledge,  in  a  word, 
which  is  emphatically  pronounced  by  our  Savior  to 
be  eternal  life. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


54 


CHAPTER  V. 
O F  JTMJV. 


HIS  NATURAL  CONDITION  WITH  RESPECT  TO  GOD. 

No  science  can  be  thoroughly  known  till  its  first  prin¬ 
ciples  are  well  understood.  This  observation  is  never 
more  true  than  when  applied  to  religion,  the  science 
in  which  every  man  is  most  deeply  interested.  One 
of  the  first  and  most  necessary  principles  of  religion  is 
a  knowledge  of  our  own  condition  and  character,  espe¬ 
cially  as  we  stand  related  to  the  Author  of  our  being. 

Now  experience  and  Scripture,  those  incontestible 
witnesses,  jointly  declare  the  deplorable  blindness  of 
man  in  spiritual  things,  while  in  a  state  of  nature ;  and 
his  forgetfulness,  contempt,  nay,  even  hatred  of  his 
Creator. 

His  blindness  is  manifested  by  his  practical  denial 
of  his  absolute  dependance  upon  God  for  all  good.  He 
looks  upon  the  endowments  of  person,  mind  or  station, 
as  if  they  were,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word,  his 
own  5  he  trusts  in  his  own  wisdom  and  strength  to  pro¬ 
cure  them;  and  when  procured,  he  glories  ir  them  as 
his  own  acquirement.  In  words  indeed  he  acknow¬ 
ledges  one  supreme  universal  Creator ;  but  he  considers 
not  the  consequence  necessarily  flowing  from  this  truth 
to  ihe  glory  of  God,  that  "  of  him,  and  through  him, 
and  to  him  are  all  things.”  Hence  beauty  is  intoxicated 
with  the  admiration  of  its  own  pleasing  form  ;  hence  the 
rich,  proud  of  their  wealth,  look  with  contempt  on  the 
poor  ;  and  those  who  have  acquired  knowledge  by  in¬ 
tense  application,  or  who  shine  distinguished  by  their 
superior  genius,  spurn  the  ignorant  vulgar;  nay,  even 


NATURAL  CONDITION  OF  MAN. 


55 


the  spiritual  man  is  much  too  ready  to  exalt  himself  in 
the  flattering  survey  of  his  own  gifts  and  graces.  The 
universal  prevalence  of  this  spirit  of  self-sufficiency 
loudly  proclaims  the  blindness  of  the  human  mind  to 
that  fundamental  truth,  that  ”  no  man  can  receive  any 
thing  except  it  be  given  him  from  above.”  With  re¬ 
spect  then  to  every  advantage  on  which  we  place  a 
value,  it  is  God  only  that  maketh  men  to  differ.  But  so 
gross  is  this  blindness,  and  so  truly  is  it  a  property  of 
our  nature,  that  it  is  difficult,  even  with  all  the  aids  of 
supernatural  light  and  divine  grace,  to  obtain  deliver¬ 
ance  from  it.  Some  symptoms  of  it  may  be  found  (where 
you  least  suspect  them)  even  in  the  most  enlightened 
of  the  earth. 

The  natural  blindness  of  man  with  respect  to  God, 
may  be  proved  also  by  the  preference  he  gives  to  a  life 
of  self-indulgence ,  over  a  life  of  obedience.  Compare 
these  together,  and  you  would  not  even  believe  it  pos¬ 
sible  to  make  a  wrong  choice.  For  what  is  a  life  of  obe¬ 
dience  to  God  ?  It  is  paying  our  allegiance  to  the  wisest, 
the  best  of  kings,  and  duly  discharging  our  filial  duty 
to  the  most  affectionate  of  fathers.  It  is  freedom  to  the 
fettered  soul,  and  deliverance  from  passions  as  base  as 
they  are  hurtful.  It  ensures  a  peaceful  enjoyment  of 
mind,  which  affords  no  ground  for  sharp  self-upbraid- 
ings.  It  makes  a  man  a  blessing  to  all  in  close  connec¬ 
tion  with  him,  effectually  restraining  him  even  from  the 
intention  to  do  evil.  In  prosperity  it  keeps  the  mind 
humble ;  in  adversity,  calm  and  patient :  nor  can  the 
prospect  of  death  disturb  its  tranquillity,  for  its  hope  is 
full  of  immortality.  Survey  now  its  contrast, — a  life 
of  self-indulgence.  How  depraved,  how  monstrous,  is 
every  feature  !  The  whole  appears  no  other  than  a  hi¬ 
deous  compound  of  ignorance,  obstinately  contradicting 
infinite  wisdom: — of  contempt,  shown  by  a  sinful  worm 
to  eternal  majesty  of  ingratitude,  to  bounty  the  most 


56 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN  * 


undeserved  ; — of  rebellion,  aiming  its  blow  against  sove¬ 
reign  mercy.  A  life  of  self-indulgence  makes  a  man 
afraid  to  look  into  himself,  or  forward  to  approaching 
eternity :  it  is  infectious  and  full  of  mischief  to  others ; 
it  is  wholly  without  excuse,  and  in  every  view  alto¬ 
gether  odious. 

What  light  then  can  there  be  left  in  the  human  mind, 
if  a  life  of  obedience  is  not  always,  without  hesitation, 
preferred,  infinitely  preferred,  to  a  life  of  self-indul¬ 
gence  1  For  beauty,  in  its  loveliest  bloom,  doth  not  so 
evidently  excel  pale  loathsome  disease,  as  a  life  of  faith¬ 
ful  obedience  surpasses  one  of  self-gratification. 

Yet,  alas !  to  the  shame  of  man,  experience  daily 
proves  his  choice  to  be  fixed  on  what  merits  absolute 
contempt,  and  his  preference  to  be  given,  where  detes¬ 
tation  alone  is  due.  Innumerable  are  the  slanders  with 
which  man  asperses  a  life  of  strict  obedience,  and  loud 
are  the  complaints  he  urges  against  it  :  he  industrious¬ 
ly  employs  all  his  powers  of  wit  and  reason  to  make  an 
uniform  subjection  to  the  will  of  God  appear  irksome, — 
and  opposition  to  it  guiltless. 

In  vain  do  all  the  children  of  obedience  lift  up  their 
voice  together,  and  cry,  'r  Great  peace  have  they  who 
love  thy  law,  and  nothing  shall  offend  them.”  In  vain 
does  the  all-sufficient  Jehovah  promise  his  indwelling 
presence  and  Spirit ;  in  vain  does  he  promise  pardon, 
power,  peace  and  salvation  to  the  faithful  and  obedi¬ 
ent  ;  all  is  too  weak  to  open  the  eyes  of  men  in  general, 
and  to  enable  them  to  perceive  such  pleasure  and  such 
charms  in  the  way  of  duty,  as  they  fondly  fancy  they 
discover  in  the  paths  of  self-will  and  transgression.  And 
to  this  gross  mistake  it  is  owing  that  the  number  o f 
real  Christians  is  so  small,  the  multitude  of  open  sin¬ 
ners  so  great. 

This  observation  leads  us  to  a  further  discovery  of 
the  blindness  natural  to  the  human  mind,  with  respect 


NATURAL  CONDITION  OF  MAN. 


57 


to  what  it  esteems  the  true  foundation  of  happiness. 
Were  it  a  fact  that  great  possessions,  titles,  or  appear¬ 
ances  could  satisfy  the  soul,  it  might  then  be  no  proof 
of  human  blindness  to  seek  for  happiness  in  what  the 
world  can  give,  to  the  neglect  or  disparagement  of 
God  ;  or  were  we,  like  the  heathen,  left  in  gross  dark¬ 
ness  about  the  perfections  of  God,  and  in  ignorance  of 
the  notice  he  takes  of  his  creatures  :  on  either  of  these 
suppositions  it  would  be  no  evidence  of  blindness  in 
man  to  reject,  as  imaginary,  the  prospect  of  finding  hap¬ 
piness  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  in  a  lively  con¬ 
sciousness  of  his  favor  ;  for  then  man  might  plead  that 
it  was  the  height  of  arrogance  and  presumption  to  ima¬ 
gine  there  could  be  an  intimacy  and  friendship  between 
God  and  himself. 

But  when,  on  the  contrary,  the  infallible  Scriptures 
fully  display  to  us  the  glorious  perfections  of  our  God, 
and  when  they  assure  us  also  of  the  high  place  man 
holds  in  his  thoughts  ;  when  they  declare  that  his  heart 
is  open  to  embrace  him  as  soon  as  he  earnestly  desires 
deliverance  from  sin,  and  to  treat  him  with  all  the  en¬ 
dearments  a  son  can  receive  from  the  most  loving  fa¬ 
ther  ;  in  such  a  case,  must  not  the  mind  be  deplorably 
blind  if  it  does  not  listen  with  delight  to  these  declara¬ 
tions,  place  confidence  in  them,  and  instantly  accept 
the  rich  offer  made  by  them  as  a  treasure  of  peace,  of 
happiness  and  glory?  Yet,  alas!  far  from  acting  in 
this  most  reasonable  manner,  we  are  with  great  difficul¬ 
ty  brought  to  believe  that  God  does  indeed  dwell  with 
man  ;  and  with  still  greater  to  desire  any  share  in  com¬ 
munion  with  him.  After  a  thousand  disappointments 
from  the  world,  still  with  boundless  credulity  we  depend 
upon  every  delusion  for  happiness.  The  meanest  trifle, 
the  most  sordid  pursuit,  every  thing,  except  the  know¬ 
ledge  and  love  of  God,  we  are  blind  enough  to  fancy 
worth  our  esteem  and  our  labor  to  obtain. 

3* 


58 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Thus  does  gross  ignorance  cover  the  mind  of  fallen 
man.  Every  inferior  creature,  even  the  crawling  worm 
or  buzzing  insect,  perceives  what  is  most  beneficial  for 
itself,  steadily  pursues  and  contantly  adheres  to  it.  But 
man  is  naturally  blind  to  the  Fountain  of  all  good,  and 
to  the  enjoyment  he  can  possess  through  the  know 
ledge  and  love  of  him.  Even  men  of  the  finest  abili¬ 
ties,  whose  penetration,  in  other  respects,  is  piercing  as 
the  eagle’s  sight,  are  in  this  point  miserably  blind. 
Gross  darkness  covers  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  young 
and  the  old,  the  priest  and  the  people,  till  God  com¬ 
mands  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  and  be¬ 
stows  from  on  high  a  sound  understanding  and  right 
judgment. 

This  blindness  of  the  human  mind  is  most  strongly 
asserted  in  the  following  Scriptures,  to  which  more  of 
the  same  kind,  were  it  necessary,  might  be  added  :  Job, 
11  :  12.  "Man  is  hornlike  the  wild  ass’s  colt,”  that  is, 
not  only  destitute  of  heavenly  light  and  wisdom,  but 
stupid  to  apprehend  it,  and  averse  to  receive  it.  Ob¬ 
serve  how  keenly  this  is  pointed  :  like  the  ass — an  ani¬ 
mal  remarkable  for  its  stupidity  even  to  a  proverb ;  like 
the  ass’s  colt,  which  of  course  must  be  more  egregious- 
ly  stupid  than  the  dam ;  like  the  wild  ass’s  colt,  which 
is  not  only  dull,  but  stubborn  and  refractory,  neither  by 
nature  possessing  valuable  qualities,  nor  capable  of  re¬ 
ceiving  them  through  any  discipline.  The  same  blind¬ 
ness,  natural  to  the  human  mind,  is  necessarily  implied 
in  those  assertions  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  as¬ 
cribe  all  discernment  of  spiritual  things  to  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  which  style  him  the  Spirit  of  Truth, 
whose  office  it  is  to  lead  us  into  all  truth.  Nay,  suffi¬ 
ciently  decisive  on  this  point,  if  there  were  no  other 
testimony,  is  that  remarkable  one  of  St.  Paul :  "  The 
natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him,  neither  can  he 


NATURAL  CONDITION  OF  MAN. 


59 


know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned.” 
1  Cor.  2  :  14. 

But  it  is  not  blindness  only  that  is  chargeable  on  fal¬ 
len  man;  his  entire  forgetfulness  of  God,  even  though 
the  whole  creation  loudly  attest  his  excellency  and  his 
presence,  argues  extreme  depravity.  Man  can  be  a  wit¬ 
ness  to  the  whole  host  of  heaven  moving  in  continual 
order  around  him  ;  he  can  enjoy  the  grateful  vicissitude 
of  the  seasons,  and  feast  upon  the  various  bounties  of 
the  earth  ;  he  can  stand  encircled  with  conveniences  and 
comforts,  and  yet  not  advert  to  the  infinitely  wise  and 
gracious  hand  that  made  and  sus-ains  all  things.  He  ex¬ 
cludes  God  from  the  government  of  his  own  world,  be¬ 
cause  not  subject  to  the  observation  of  his  senses  ;  and 
ascribes  the  honor  due  to  Him,  to  thos^  passive  instru¬ 
ments  which  only  subserve  his  will.  When  God,  there¬ 
fore,  would  impress  a  nation  with  any  heartfelt  awe  oi 
his  ag  mcy  and  rule  over  the  affairs  of  men,  he  must 
send  forth  his  judgments  on  the  earth,  which,  like  a 
glaring  comet  troubling  the  sky  by  its  irregular  motion 
and  portentous  appearance,  may  arrest  the  attention, 
alarm  the  fears,  and  lead  the  thoughts  of  man  to  his 
Maker.  When  he  would  recover  an  individual  from  the 
deep  forgetfulness  of  him  in  which  he  lies  by  nature,  he 
must  change  his  prosperity  into  trouble,  and  his  joy 
into  heaviness :  a  chamber  of  sickness  or  a  bed  of  lan¬ 
guishing  must  make  him  know  himself  to  be  but  man : 
he  must  scourge  him  with  pain,  or  by  fearful  apprehen¬ 
sions  of  impending  punishment  must  awaken  the  sleep¬ 
er  into  sensibility.  Still,  however,  even  after  these  se¬ 
vere  monitors  have  faithfully  performed  their  office,  and 
forcibly  set  before  man  his  adorable  Creator,  the  re¬ 
membrance  of  him,  alas !  is  apt  to  pass  away  like  that 
of  a  guest  who  tarries  but  a  day. 

It  passes  away,  though  all  nature  unites  to  exhibit 
him  to  the  senses.  "  Whilst  the  sun,  clothed  in  tran- 


60 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


scendent  brightness,  comes  forth  from  his  chamber 
every  morning  to  publish  his  Maker’s  glory ;  whilst  the 
moon  and  stars,  which  govern  the  night,  add  their 
united  evidence  to  magnify  their  Creator  to  a  gazing 
but  unaffected  world ;  whilst  the  air  whispers  his  cle¬ 
mency  in  the  balmy  refreshing  breeze,  or  his  majesty 
sounds  aloud  in  roaring  winds  and  rending  storms : 
yet  both  expedients  fail ;  man  is  like  the  deaf  adder 
that  stoppeth  her  ears;  he  refuseth  to  hear  the  voice  of 
the  charmers,  charm  they  ever  so  sweetly,  ever  so  for 
cibly.  Each  flower,  arrayed  in  beauty  and  breathing 
perfume,  courts  our  affections  for  its  infinitely  amiable 
Author ;  not  a  bird  that  warbles,  or  a  brook  that  mur¬ 
murs,  but  invites  our  praise  or  chides  our  ingratitude. 
All  the  variety  of  fruits  deposit  their  attestation  on  our 
palates,  yet  seldom  reach  our  hearts;  they  give  us  a 
proof  of  the  divine  benignity,  as  undeniable  as  it  is 
pleasing,  and  too  often  as  ineffectual  also.  In  short, 
the  whole  creation  is  a  kind  of  magnificent  embassy 
from  its  almighty  Lord,  deputed  to  proclaim  his  excel¬ 
lencies  and  demand  our  homage.”  Yet  man,  such  is 
the  depravity  of  his  mind,  disregards  the  former,  and 
of  consequence  withholds  the  latter. 

It  may  be  said  these  instances  of  the  power,  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  God,  in  the  creation,  are  silent  and  in¬ 
articulate  witnesses,  and  therefore  fail  to  engage  the 
attention  of  man.  But  alas !  his  forgetfulness  of  his 
Maker  is  stubborn  enough  to  withstand  even  louder 
calls.  Behold  !  the  messenger  of  the  Lord,  with  heaven- 
enkindled  zeal  in  his  heart  and  fire  in  his  eyes,  ad¬ 
dresses  him ;  he  pleads  before  him  the  cause  of  God 
and  truth ;  he  makes  his  earnest  appeal  to  reason,  to 
man’s  own  experience,  whether  God  ought  to  be  for¬ 
gotten.  He  sets  the  Father  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh 
before  him,  in  the  supreme  glory  of  his  character  and 
the  overflowing  riches  of  his  grace.  Yet  the  force  of 


NATURAL  CONDITION  OF  MAN. 


61 


the  impression  abides  no  longer  than  till  the  next  earth¬ 
ly  trifle  occurs,  or  the  favorite  object  of  pursuit  presents 
itself  to  the  mind.  Either  one  or  the  other  can  scatter 
every  idea  of  God  from  his  faithless  memory,  as  the 
wind  disperses  the  chaff. 

Nay,  when  that  holy  word  which  breathes  the  ma¬ 
jesty  of  Him  who  inspired  it,  is  read  by  his  minister, 
man,  till  renewed  by  grace,  betrays  in  his  whole  deport¬ 
ment  a  flagrant  insensibility  and  a  reproachful  irreve¬ 
rence  toward  God.  The  sons  of  business  are  still  in 
idea  buying,  selling  and  getting  gain,  as  at  the  ex¬ 
change  or  market ;  the  eye  of  lewdness  ceases  not, 
even  in  the  holy  assembly,  to  gratify  evil  concupis¬ 
cence:  youthful  curiosity  roves  with  careless  indiffer¬ 
ence  from  object  to  object.  Amidst  a  multitude  of  pro¬ 
fessed  worshippers  of  God,  only  the  few,  who  have 
been  happily  recovered  from  their  natural  insensibility, 
worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Weigh  this  fact, 
too  frequently  occurring  not  to  fall  under  your  notice, 
and  it  will  extort  a  confession  from  you  that  the  God 
in  whose  hands  is  all  our  life  and  happiness  for  time 
and  for  eternity,  is  more  overlooked  than  the  smallest 
object  that  concerns  our  temporal  welfare,  and  more 
forgotten  than  the  meanest  person  on  whom  we  have 
any  dependence. 

’  We  have  seen,  then,  that  it  is  the  way  of  man  to  live 
m  forgetfulness  of  God.  But  let  not  this  forgetfulness 
be  considered  as  the  effect  of  mere  inattention, — a  ve¬ 
nial  failing  which,  though  it  ought  to  be  corrected,  ar¬ 
gues  no  corrupt  nature. — No,  it  is  highly  culpable.  It 
arises  entirely  from  a  depravity  of  disposition.  Are  we 
wont  to  be  obstinately  inattentive  to  our  friends,  whilst 
any  degree  of  veneration  remains  for  them  I  When  the 
Lord  of  a  great  household  is  absent,  and  therefore  invi¬ 
sible  to  his  servants,  do  they  lose  the  remembrance  of 
their  duty  unless  they  are  wholly  base  and  profligate  1 


62 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


When  children  are  separated  from  their  affectionate 
parents,  though  even  at  the  distance  of  whole  king¬ 
doms.  can  they  lose  a  lively  remembrance  of  their  rela¬ 
tion,  or  a  sense  of  their  obligations,  unless  they  are 
sunk  into  total  degeneracy  1  If  we  trace,  therefore, 
man’s  forgetfulness  of  God  up  to  its  real  source,  it  will 
afford  us  still  more  afflicting  evidence  of  his  natural 
depravity,  and  prove  that  he  is  a  despiser  of  the  Lord 
God  omnipotent. 

Neither  let  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  God,  and  of  the 
homage  he  requires  from  men,  be  pleaded  as  an  excuse 
for  our  forgetfulness.  For  has  not  reason  remonstrated 
against  our  sin !  Has  not  the  word  of  God  distinctly 
pointed  out  its  malignity  1  Have  not  undeniable  facts 
proved  that  God,  notwithstanding  his  infinite  greatness, 
is  pleased  to  inspect  our  conduct  with  the  most  minute 
attention!  No  earthly  potentate  can  show  himself  so 
observant  of  the  manners  of  his  subjects,  so  jealous  of 
the  honor  of  his  laws,  as  the  King  eternal,  immortal  and 
invisible.  For  ask  and  inquire  under  heaven,  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  unto  this  day,  Who.  is  he  among 
the  princes  of  this  world  that  has  so  fully  prohibited  all 
that  is  evil,  or  so  strictly  enjoined  the  practice  of  all 
good,  as  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth!  Who  has  added 
penalties  to  deter  from  presumptuous  offences  against 
his  laws,  worthy  to  be  compared  to  everlasting  burn¬ 
ings  !  In  what  state  are  such  rich  preferments,  such 
desirable  honors,  insured  to  loyalty  and  obedience,  as 
in  the  kingdom  of  our  God  !  Or,  to  say  no  more,  who 
among  the  kings  of  the  earth,  in  all  the  fierceness  of  his 
wrath,  has  been  found  so  terrible  to  avenge  iniquity  as 
the  righteous  God,  in  his  judgments  that  have  been 
executed  upon  sinners ! 

Our  forgetfulness,  therefore,  of  so  great  a  God,  w7ho 
has  so  plainly  and  fully  manifested  his  authority,  is  sin¬ 
ful,  and  is  an  instance  of  high  depravity.  It  is  no  less 


NATURAL  CONDITION  OF  MAN. 


63 


than  contempt  of  God,  and,  as  such,  is  a  crime  infinitely 
heinous.  To  show  contempt  to  a  person  who  is  in  any 
degree  our  superior,  is  a  greater  offence,  all  will  allow, 
than  if  he  were  our  equal.  To  offer  an  affront  to  a 
crowned  head,  a  much  greater  offence  than  to  a  private 
man.  As  every  act  of  honor  derives  its  value  from  the 
dignity  of  him  who  pays  it,  so  an  offence  is  dishonor¬ 
able  and  base  in  proportion  to  the  character  of  him 
against  whom  it  is  committed.  The  consequence  then 
is  plain,  that  to  show  contempt  to  God,  is  an  offence 
truly  infinite  3  for  almighty  power,  made  lovely  by  an 
essential  union  with  perfect  wisdom,  justice.and  mercy, 
constitute  the  name  of  God,  and  demand  the  heartfelt 
adoration  of  his  creatures.  To  question  whether  such 
an  adoration  be  due  to  him,  argues  a  profligate  stupidity 
of  mind :  but  to  act  as  if  he  were  unworthy  of  fear  and 
love,  is  still  more  flagitious  wickedness. 

Yet  that  it  is  the  custom  of  man  thus  to  act,  you  may 
see  in  the  clearest  light  wherever  you  turn  your  eyes. 
Consider  the  multitudes  who  are  living  in  the  open 
breach  of  one  or  other  of  the  laws  of  God.  Are  they 
doing  so  because  they  are  ignorant  that  their  sin  is  for¬ 
bidden  1  No.  Profane  swearers  know  what  the  third 
commandment  means,  and  by  what  Lawgiver  it  is  en¬ 
acted.  The  intemperate  are  acquainted  with  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  which  denounces  woes  on  those  "  whose  God  is 
their  belly,  and  who  are  mighty  to  drink  wine.”  The 
lewd  are  no  strangers  to  that  awful  declaration,  "  whore¬ 
mongers  and  adulterers  God  will  judge nor  fraudu¬ 
lent  tradesmen  to  that  solemn  appeal,  ”  Know  ye  not 
that  the  unrighteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom 
of  God.” 

But  notwithstanding  these  plain  peremptory  declara¬ 
tions,  fraud,  intemperance  and  profaneness  have  ever 
covered  almost  the  whole  face  of  the  earth.  And  sin¬ 
ners  of  each  of  the  above-mentioned  classes — though 


64 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


entreated,  though  importuned,  though  adjured  in  the 
name  of  God  who  made,  who  preserves,  and  who  will 
jud  ge  them, — not  only  refuse  to  hearken,  but  rage  in 
confidence  of  their  own  safety.  By  this  conduct  man 
foams  out  his  own  shame,  and  proves  that,  where  he  can 
neither  plead  ignorance  nor  forgetfulness,  he  will  dare 
to  treat  the  commands  of  God  as  if  he  thought  them 
the  wild  injunctions  of  passion,  the  impositions  of  ty¬ 
ranny,  or  the  dictates  of  folly.  He  will  dare  to  treat 
the  law  of  his  Maker  as  if,  in  some  instances  at  least 
respecting  himself,  it  were  absurd  in  its  intention,  un¬ 
reasonable  in  its  restraints,  unnecessary  to  be  observed, 
and  to  be  broken  with  impunity. 

It  is  in  vain  for  man  to  reply,  whilst  he  remains  a 
wilful  transgressor  of  the  law,  that  it  is  far  from  his  in - 
tention  to  be  guilty  of  contempt  towards  God,  he  only 
means  to  please  himself  in  his  sin.  For  where  the  law 
of  God  is  openly  declared,  as  it  is  in  every  Christian 
country,  it  is  impossible  to  do  the  one  without  being 
guilty  of  the  other  also.  A  rebellious  spirit  cannot  pos¬ 
sibly  discover  a  more  flagrant  contempt  of  God’s  go¬ 
vernment,  than  by  first  concluding  that  it  will  be  his 
interest  to  walk  contrary  to  his  commandment ;  and 
then,  whilst  doing  so,  making  light  of  the  wrath  revealed 
in  the  most  solemn  manner  against  all  the  unrighteous¬ 
ness  and  ungodliness  of  men. 

But  in  whatever  point  of  view  man  may  himself  re¬ 
gard  his  practice  of  sin,  it  is  beyond  dispute  that  the 
eternal  God  looks  upon  it  in  a  most  serious  light,  and  will 
punish  it  as  a  contempt  of  his  authority.  He  represents 
himself  as  so  touched  by  the  unprovoked  and  inexcusa¬ 
ble  rebellion  of  sinners,  that  he  becomes  inexorable  to 
their  cries,  and  regardless  of  the  dreadful  miseries  into 
the  abyss  of  which  they  are  ready  to  fall:  "  Because  I 
have  called,” — by  my  Spirit,  my  law,  and  my  ministers, 
"  and  ye  refused  because,  like  one  vehemently  de- 


ENMITY  AGAINST  GOD. 


65 


sirous  to  be  obeyed, "I  have  stretched  out  my  hand,  and 
no  man  regarded;  but  ye  have  set  at  nought  all  my 
counsel,  and  would  none  of  my  reproof :  I  will  also 
laugh  at  your  calamity,  and  I  will  mock  when  your  fear 
cometh.  When  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and 
your  destruction  cometh  as  a  whirlwind ;  when  distress 
and  anguish  cometh  upon  ^you.”  Prov.  1  :  24-27.  In 
this  passage  you  observe  the  Almighty  expressing,  in 
the  most  alarming  manner,  the  contempt  and  indigna¬ 
tion  he  will  show  towards  obstinate  sinners,  as  only  the 
just  retaliation  upon  them  of  the  very  same  usage  and 
treatment  he  has  received  so  long  at  their  hands. 

What  has  been  said  proves  but  too  fully  the  natural 
depravity  of  man.  There  is  no  way  of  refuting  it,  but 
by  affirming  that  it  implies  no  baseness  to  treat  the 
fountain  of  all  good  with  forgetfulness,  and  Excellency 
itself  with  contempt.  But  wherever  there  should  be  im¬ 
piety  enough  to  maintain  such  a  shocking  assertion, 
there  would  also  be  a  living  demonstration  of  the  truth 
that  was  contradicted. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OF  — cost  5.  in  tied* 

HIS  NATURAL  ENMITY  AGAINST  GOD. 

The  deplorable  blindness  of  man  in  his  natural  con¬ 
dition,  his  neglect  and  contempt  of  God  have  been  al¬ 
ready  stated:  but  there  is  still,  alas!  something  worse 
chargeable  upon  us  all,  till  created  again  in  Christ  Jesus. 


66 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


This  I  should  carefully  conceal,  if  it  were  my  aim 
merely  to  please  my  reader  instead  of  bringing  him 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  himself.  I  know  that  what 
I  am  going  to  prove  upon  fallen  man,  is  extremely  of¬ 
fensive  to  natural  pride.  I  remember  well  the  time, 
when  my  own  self-complacency  would  have  been  pro¬ 
voked  at  such  a  charge  asj  now  bring  against  the  hu¬ 
man  race.  Let  me  then  entreat  the  candor  of  the  reader 
to  believe  that  I  would  most  conscientiously  avoid  im¬ 
puting  to  fallen  man  more  sinfulness  than  Scripture 
and  experience  fully  warrant :  let  me  also  humbly  re¬ 
quest  to  be  esteemed  no  less  benevolent  than  if  I  main¬ 
tained  that  man  was  born  with  perfect  rectitude  of  soul. 

I  should  with  the  greatest  pleasure  embrace  that  opi¬ 
nion,  if  fact  and  the  express  testimony  of  God  did  not 
compel  me  to  renounce  it  as  a  dangerous  delusion. 

Having  thus  endeavored  to  procure  an  unprejudiced 
hearing  of  my  arguments,  I  am  bold  to  open  to  the  bot¬ 
tom  the  deplorable  corruption  of  human  nature,  and  to 
maintain  that  there  dwells  in  the  heart  of  every  man, 
till  changed  by  grace,  an  aversion  to  the  very  Author 
of  his  being .  This  is  an  accusation  of  so  detestable  a 
kind,  that  even  those  who  are  most  visibly  under  the 
power  of  a  dreadful  depravity  of  mind  will  not  allow  * 
its  truth.  But  the  proofs  I  shall  bring  are  such  as  every 
one  would  allow  sufficiently  to  demonstrate  aversion 
in  any  other  case.  And  after  these  proofs  are  laid  be¬ 
fore  you,  we  will  add  the  infallible  decisions  of  the 
word  of  God. 

You  will  allow,  then,  that  wherever  the  company  of 
persons  confessedly  wise,  excellent  and  amiable,  is  dis¬ 
tasteful  and  irksome,  there  is  ground  to  conclude  that  it 
arises  from  some  personal  dislike.  Now  secret  prayer, 
and  reading  the  Scriptures  With  humility  and  attention, 
are  the  nearest  approach  to  God,  the  most  like  being  in 
his  company  of  any  thing  of  which  we  are  at  present 


ENMITY  AGAINST  GOD. 


67 


capable.  By  these,  therefore,  we  are  said  in  Scripture 
to  "  seek  his  face,  and  come  into  his  presence.”  If, 
therefore,  an  aversion  to  holding  such  intercourse  as 
this  with  God  can  be  proved  natural  to  fallen  man,  it 
evidently  proves  his  aversion  to  him  ;  for  none  can  dis¬ 
pute  the  wisdom  of  God,  or  his  glorious  excellence. 

By  this  test  try  the  human  race  in  every  stage  of 
life,  and  say,  where  are  the  young  people,  where  are  the 
old,  who,  before  they  are  divinely  renewed,  have  any 
delight  in  prayer  and  reading  the  Scriptures  1  I  do  not 
say  they  totally  neglect  them ;  but  do  not  they  repeat 
their  prayers  in  haste,  without  serious  attention  to  their 
meaning  1  Is  not  the  Bible,  that  authentic  account  of 
God  and  his  wonderful  works,  a  dull,  tasteless  book  to 
them,  and  therefore  neglected  1  If  it  is  read,  are  not 
a  few  minutes  thought  time  enough  for  such  a  task, 
whilst  hours  are  every  day  consumed  with  delight  in 
idle  sauntering,  in  frivolous  visits,  or  in  frothy  enter¬ 
tainments  1  If  this  conduct  does  not,  what  can  demon¬ 
strate  the  aversion  of  man  to  God  1  especially  since 
God,  oh  amazing  condescension!  offers  to  hold  com¬ 
munion  with  us,  invites  our  acquaintance,  and  would 
have  us  regard  him  as  our  exceeding  joy  l  Why  is  this 
offer  slighted  I  Surely  because  we  naturally  like  not  to 
retain  him  in  our  knowledge,  nor  to  glorify  him  as  God. 

Again ;  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  a  great  degree  of 
hatred  against  a  person  prevails,  when  it  extends  even 
to  those  that  are  connected  with  him ,  and  when  attach¬ 
ment  to  him  becomes  a  cause  for  breaking  the  closest 
bonds  of  friendship. 

Tried  by  this  rule,  the  natural  aversion  of  man’s 
heart  to  his  glorious  Creator,  Redeemer  and  Sanctifier, 
appears  as  flagrant  in  its  effects  as  it  is  detestable  in 
principle.  A  zealous  spirit  of  obedience  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  may  be  considered  as  the  expression  of  a 
sincere  attachment  to  him ;  but  this  spirit  is,  in  all 


68 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAM. 


ages  of  life,  offensive  to  the  generality  of  mankind 
Does  this  uncommon  but  most  excellent  disposition  dis¬ 
cover  itself  in  a  child  at  school — his  playmates,  as  from 
an  instinctive  enmity  against  it,  will  assault  and  perse¬ 
cute  him  with  derision.  In  universities  which  give  the 
last  polish  to  the  education  of  the  world,  you  may  be 
lewd  and  intemperate,  profane  in  speech  and  principle, 
without  offence  to  your  fellow-students ;  but  if,  with  a 
becoming  fortitude,  you  refrain  from  all  fashionable 
sins,  and  urge  the  authority  of  God’s  law  against  them, 
the  most  cutting  ridicule  and  abusive  insult  will  be 
heaped  upon  you. 

Now  as  this  is  the  case  before  the  corrupt  affections 
of  the  human  heart  are  strengthened  by  age  or  inflamed 
by  indulgence,  it  must  necessarily  be  much  more  so 
afterwards.  It  is  accordingly  a  fact,  that  the  real  fear 
and  love  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ  become  the  cause  of 
variance  and  separation  where  the  greatest  intimacy 
and  the  closest  friendship  subsisted  before.  Those  very 
persons  who,  whilst  living  in  fashionable  forgetfulness 
of  God,  were  beloved  as  most  amiable,  and  even  pro¬ 
posed  as  patterns  for  imitation — no  sooner  are  divinely 
changed  to  delight  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  his 
Gospel,  than  they  perceive  that  their  careless  friends 
treat  thefli  at  first  with  a  civil  reserve,  then  proceed  to 
censures  of  their  extravagant  piety,  and  at  length  dis¬ 
card  them  entirely  from  their  friendship.  But  could 
this  be  the  case  if  there  were  no  aversion  in  the  heart 
to  God  I  By  no  means  ;  for  though  you  may  not  like 
your  friend’s  contracting  an  intimacy  with  a  third  per¬ 
son,  yet  you  would  not  quarrel  with  him  for  it  unless 
you  had  a  secret  dislike  of  that  person  in  your  heart. 

It  is  a  sure  proof  of  aversion  against  a  person  when 
the  respectful  mention  of  his  name ,  and  the  just  praise 
ascribed  to  him,  is  not  borne  without  impatience  and 
displeasure.  The  party-bigot,  every  man  will  allow, 


ENMITY  AGAINST  GOD. 


69 


overflows  with  the  gall  of  bitterness  ;  and  therefore, 
when  the  good  qualities  of  those  who  are  in  opposition 
to  his  sect  become  the  subject  of  discourse,  he  either 
sits  in  silent  chagrin,  or  is  evidently  impatient  till  an¬ 
other  topic  of  discourse  is  introduced.  And  is  it  not, 
then,  a  proof  of  aversion  to  God,  when,  amidst  all  the 
variety  of  subjects  of  discourse,  objection  is  made  only 
against  such  as  are  designed  to  magnify  the  only  true 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent  1  What  but 
aversion  to  God  would  immediately  brand  such  conver¬ 
sations  with  the  odious  names  of  cant  and  hypocrisy, 
and  obstinately  ascribe  it  to  some  hateful  motive  of  os¬ 
tentation  or  sinister  design  1 

Men  are  pleased  with  incessant  prating  about  every 
the  meanest  trifle,  or  most  sordid  vanity ;  but  as  soon 
as  any  attempt  is  made  to  turn  the  conversation  on  the 
great  Lord  of  the  world,  his  transactions,  government, 
perfections  and  love,  the  very  mention  of  the  subject  is 
received  in  most  companies  with  visible  dislike,  a  dis¬ 
approving  silence  ensues,  and  the  subject  drops  as  soon 
as  introduced.  Ah!  what  can  demonstrate  that  the  un¬ 
renewed  heart  of  man  is  at  enmity  with  God,  if  this  fact 
does  not,  which  proclaims  so  loudly  that  he  is  the  only 
person  of  whom  no  one  chooses  to  speak,  and  whose 
praises  no  one  desires  to  hear!  Could  a  circle  of  avow¬ 
ed  atheists  desire  to  have  it  otherwise  1 

Again  :  Who  can  doubt  whether  enmity  reigns  in  the 
heart  against  an  earthly  king,  when  the  tongue  is  busy 
in  abusing  his  professed  friends,  and  in  casting  reproach 
upon  his  government,  and  the  hand  is  active  in  opposing 
it  1  Can  it  be  doubted,  then,  what  is  the  real  temper  of 
man’s  heart  towards  God,  the  King  of  the  whole  earth, 
before  a  divine  change  is  experienced,  when  it  is  com¬ 
mon  to  hear  ridicule  poured  upon  the  pious  and  devout, 
as  creatures  absurdly  demure,  pitiably  weak  in  their 
judgment,  or  enthusiastic  in  their  temper'!  What  a 


70 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


malicious  insinuation  is  this  against  the  glory  of  God  1 
Does  it  not  imply  that  all  who  have  any  concern  for  his 
honor  are  actually  under  the  power  of  delusion,  and 
truly  despicable  in  their  choice  and  pursuits  1 

Add  to  this  that  the  disobedience  of  men  to  the  law 
of  God  amounts  to  the  strongest  proof  of  aversion  to 
him.  Every  wilful  transgression  is  an  act  of  contro¬ 
versy  with  him  who  forbids  it,  and  of  direct  opposition 
to  his  will;  it  is  expressly  styled  in  Scripture, rebellion 
against  God.  For  though  we  have  no  power  to  over¬ 
come  our  Maker,  or  to  shake  the  everlasting  pillars  of 
his  throne ;  though  we  cannot  bring  forth  the  weapons 
of  our  indignation  against  the  invisible  God  as  rebel¬ 
lious  subjects  can  do  against  their  mortal  sovereign, 
yet  the  bidding  defiance  to  his  law  demonstrates  our 
will  to  do  this  execrable  deed.  It  is  an  evident  decla¬ 
ration  that  our  spirit  is  in  a  state  of  hostility  against 
heaven.  Every  open  presumptuous  offender  against  God 
calls  aloud,  by  his  practice,  upon  all  who  behold  it,  Come 
on,  rise  up  with  me  against  the  Lord ;  who  is  he,  that 
he  should  reign  over  us  1 

Now  from  these  instances,  notorious  in  every  place, 
make  an  estimate  of  the  natural  disposition  of  man’s 
heart  towards  God,  and  then  say  if  it  is  not  evidently 
that  of  aversion.  If  you  would  allow  these  instances  a 
sufficient  demonstration  of  enmity  in  every  other  case, 
be  ingenuous  and  honest  enough  to  grant  it  to  be  such 
in  the  present. 

To  prevail  with  you  to  do  this,  attend  further  to  the 
manner,  in  which  our  natural  state  and  condition  is  re 
presented  by  the  God  of  truth .  He  constantly  speaks  of 
the  children  of  men,  in  their  unregenerate  state,  aa 
"  haters  ”  of  him,  as  his  "  adversaries  ”  and  "  enemies.” 
Christ,  we  are  assured,  died  for  the  "  ungodly that  is, 
for  those  who  were  enemies  to  God. 

The  same  truth  is  positively  affirmed,  Rom.  8  :  7 


ENMITY  AGAINST  GOD. 


71 


The  carnal  mind  (which  the  context  explains  to  be 
the  mind  of  man  in  its  natural  state)  is  not  only  dis¬ 
inclined  to  God,  but  "  enmity  against  him  5”  which  en¬ 
mity  expresses  itself  in  refusing  to  be  subject  to  the 
law  of  God. 

Indeed  the  Gospel  itself,  even  in  one  of  its  most  love* 
ly  titles,  emphatically  implies  the  melancholy  truth  we 
are  proving.  For  it  is  called  "the  ministry  of  recon - 
ciliatioji ,"  that  is,  a  method  contrived  by  consummate 
wisdom,  and  executed  by  almighty  love,  to  reconcile  us 
unto  God,  who  "were  enemies  in  our  minds"  to  him 
"by  wicked  works."  Col.  1  :  21.  And  let  the  man  who 
would  deny  the  necessity  of  reconciliation  in  his  own 
case,  descend  into  his  breast,  and  take  a  full  survey  of 
his  duty  by  the  light  of  Scripture,  and  then  say  what 
hope  he  can  have,  but  from  an  act  of  grace  in  God  re¬ 
ceiving  him  to  favor,  and  putting  him  in  a  way  of  com¬ 
plete  redemption,  by  a  new  birth  of  the  Spirit,  in  the 
renovation  of  his  heart. 

From  this  proof  of  the  total  depravity  of  man  in  his 
temper  towards  God,  his  natural  guilt  and  sinfulness  ap¬ 
pear  in  a  glaring  light.  For  what  can  be  more  criminal 
than  such  disaffection  to  God  the  Father  everlasting  1 
It  is  no  less  than  a  total  denial  of  the  relation  that  sub¬ 
sists  between  the  Creator  and  the  creature.  It  is  re¬ 
moving  the  best  and  noblest  part  of  the  divine  work¬ 
manship,  visible  on  earth,  from  its  proper  basis  and  cen¬ 
tre.  If  you  were  to  break  in  pieces  the  frame  of  nature, 
and  resolve  the  world  into  a  mere  chaos,  the  confusion 
and  evil  would  not  be  so  great  as  that  of  breaking  the 
bonds  which  unite  the  Creator  to  his  noblest  work,  a 
rational  immortal  sml.  All  the  relations  of  creatures 
towards  each  other  are  mean  and  insignificant  in  com¬ 
parison  of  those  which  subsist  between  creatures  and 
the  Author  of  their  being.  Besides,  what  monstrous 
wickedness  is  it  to  be  disaffected  to  our  most  bountiful 


72  COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 

Benefactor 'l  What  do  we  think  and  say  of  those  who 
have  an  aversion  to  their  parents  ?  What,  when  they 
dislike  and  shun  those  who  have  been  ever  kind  and 
full  of  paternal  love ;  are  we  not  wont  to  brand  such 
ungrateful  children  with  every  name  of  reproach,  and 
to  judge  them  guilty  in  the  highest  degree  !  But  in  how 
small  a  measure  do  parents  contribute  to  the  being  and 
welfare  of  their  children,  in  comparison  of  what  the 
great  God  doth  to  ours  1  and  how  little  superiority  in 
point  of  power  and  excellency  have  parents  over  their 
children  1  Whereas  the  excellency  of  our  Maker  sur¬ 
passes  even  our  highest  conceptions. 

And  what  cause  can  man  pretend  for  his  disaffection 
towards  God!  Many  good  works  has  he  done  for  us  ; 
for  which  of  these  is  he  hated  !  What  injuries  have  we 
received  from  him  to  offend  us !  rather  may  I  say,  by 
how  many  powerful  allurements  hath  he  sought  to  gain 
our  affections  !  by  benefits  visible  to  every  eye,  repeat¬ 
ed  day  by  day  in  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of 
life  :  by  inviting  us  to  the  highest  degrees  of  honor  and 
happiness,  by  giving  his  only  Son  to  be  a  sacrifice  for 
our  sins. 

Disaffection  to  our  Maker  comprehends  all  other 
wickedness ;  for  as  the  law  of  love  is  the  sum  and  sub¬ 
stance  of  all  the  precepts,  so  disaffection  to  God  is  com¬ 
prehensive  of  all  iniquity,  since  every  branch  of  it  may 
be  resolved  into  this  depravity  of  mind. 

If  you  ask  what  is  the  use  of  so  strongly  representing 
the  natural  vileness  of  man,  and  of  giving  his  portrait 
in  colors  so  opposite  to  those  in  which  he  is  drawn  by 
the  flattering  pencils  of  many  moral  painters!  the 
answer  is,  that  it  is  only  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  entire 
corruption  of  human  nature  that  the  propriety  of  the 
capital  and  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Bible  rests.  By 
the  capital  and  peculiar  doctrines  of  Scripture,  I  under¬ 
stand — redemption  from  the  insupportable  punishment 


ENMITY  AGAINST  GOE 


73 


of  sin ;  acceptance  with  God  only  through  faith  in  our 
Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ;  the  illumination  of  the 
mind,  and  a  change  of  disposition  by  the  inward  opera¬ 
tion  of  the  eternal  Spirit 

Against  these  doctrines  you  must  be  strongly  preju¬ 
diced,  or  will  receive  them  only  as  speculative  points, 
till  you  are  sensible  that  your  natural  state  is  exceed¬ 
ingly  corrupt.  For  though  your  conscience  will  not 
suffer  you  to  say  you  have  done  no  evil,  yet,  if  possess¬ 
ing  some  civil  and  moral  virtues  which  gain  you  esteem 
amongst  men,  you  believe  yourself  to  be  comparatively 
innocent,  you  cannot  be  reconciled  to  those  declara¬ 
tions  of  Scripture  which  affirm  eternal  death  to  he  the 
just  portion  of  fallen  man. 

Equally  averse  must  you  be  to  embrace  the  Gospel 
method  of  purification  unto  eternal  life.  The  flattering 
idea  of  your  own  merit,  and  the  plausible  expectation 
of  greater  reformation,  will  render  you  too  partial  to 
your  own  righteousness  to  permit  you  to  approve  of 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  ;  for  this  is  a  doctrine 
infinitely  mortifying  to  human  pride :  it  disannuls  every 
plea  for  mercy  but  the  sufferings  and  victory  of  the  high 
and  holy  Redeemer,  who,  in  absolute  pity,  undertook  to 
recover  fallen  man  from  ruin,  by  bearing  his  sin  and 
subduing  his  enemies.  A  way  of  reconciliation  this, 
which  is  never  cordially  accepted,  nor  effectually  used 
till  all  the  tempers  and  dispositions  natural  to  the  hu¬ 
man  mind  are  confessed  to  be  evil,  that  is,  full  of  disaf¬ 
fection  and  enmity  against  the  law  of  God.  Whereas 
the  full  conviction  of  this  truth  disposes  the  mind  to  per¬ 
ceive  that  it  became  Him,  by  whom  are  all  things,  and 
for  whom  are  all  things,  in  this,  and  no  other  way  of 
justifying  sinners,  to  bring  many  sons  to  glory. 

Moreover :  whilst  it  is  supposed  that  men  are  not  by 
nature  deplorably  blind  to  the  truths  of  God  and  to  his 
excellency,  and  in  their  earliest  dispositions  set  against 


Duty  of  Mao. 


74 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


him,  the  doctrine  of  regeneration  and  of  divine  grace 
as  the  principle  of  a  new  life,  must  appear  unnecessary 
and  absurd.  For  if  man’s  understanding  is  not  darkened, 
if  by  thought  and  reflection  he  can  attain  a  due  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  truth,  he  does  not  then  stand  in  need  of 
foreign  help.  In  this  case  it  is  reasonable  to  urge  him 
to  exert  his  own  powers ;  but  to  press  him  to  make  re¬ 
quest  for  a  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation,  is  vain  and 
foolish.  In  the  same  manner  divine  grace  can  never  be 
conceived  necessary  to  form  and  fashion  the  soul  anew, 
unless  it  is  naturally  prone  to  express  forgetfulness, 
contempt  and  hatred  towards  its  glorious  Creator.  To 
reform  the  outward  actions,  or  to  lead  a  life  merely 
sober  and  honest,  requires  no  such  supernatural  aid  and 
powerful  operation.  We  daily  see  many  who  despise 
prayer  and  the  word  of  God,  and  are  altogether  sensual 
and  earthly,  yet  living  in  integrity  and  in  quietness  with 
their  neighbors ;  so  that  it  is  not  with  respect  to  social 
dispositions  that  men  universally  discover  their  depra¬ 
vity  and  their  want  of  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit. 
But  it  is  that  secret  impiety  which  opposes  our  giving 
to  God  the  honor,  obedience  and  supreme  love  which 
are  due  unto  his  holy  name,  which  renders  the  agency 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  absolutely  necessary.  It  is  the  re¬ 
moval  and  cure  of  a  dreadful  disorder  which  rages  in 
the  heart  of  all  the  human  race,  and  which  demands  the 
skill  and  energy  of  Him  whose  power  first  formed  the 
soul,  to  restore  it  again  to  the  image  of  God. 

The  conclusion,  therefore,  is  plain,  that  as  ignorance 
of  our  natural  condition  and  character  with  respect  to 
God  prevails,  the  whole  scheme  of  Christian  principles 
must  be  rejected  or  hypocritically  received,  whilst  in 
the  same  degree  that  we  rightly  know  ourselves,  it  will 
be  reverenced,  embraced,  and  practically  improved. 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


75 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OF  TIIF  F  *1  Tf\ 

ITS  PERFECTION  AND  USE. 

We  have  now  endeavored  to  delineate  the  character 
of  God  and  the  natural  state  of  man,  as  they  are  reveal¬ 
ed  in  Scripture  ;  the  next  subject,  with  which  all  men 
ought  to  be  fully  acquainted,  is  the  nature  of  the  Law. 
The  Law,  with  its  terms  of  perfect  righteousness  and 
life  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  disobedience  and  death  on 
the  other,  is  the  first  thing  which  the  word  of  God  pre¬ 
sents  to  our  notice;  and  till  this  is  known,  the  Gospel 
cannot  be  understood,  nor  the  grace  of  God  be  duly  re¬ 
ceived;  for  the  Gospel  is  the  revelation  of  God’s  way 
of  delivering  a  sinner  from  the  curse  of  the  law.  The 
intimate  connection  Avhich  subsists  between  the  Law 
and  the  Gospel  is  frequently  taught  in  Scripture,  yet 
from  a  natural  reluctance  to  confess  ourselves  the  guilty 
impotent  creatures  we  are,  and  from  a  false  construc¬ 
tion  of  what  is  spoken  of  the  law,  as  if  it  related  only 
or  chiefly  to  the  Jewish  state,  this  connection  is  fa¬ 
tally  overlooked  by  multitudes  who  profess  themselves 
Christians. 

To  remove  such  hurtful  ignorance,  I  shall  lay  before 
you  the  perfection  and  extent  of  the  Moral  Law  ;  the 
excellent  ends  it  perpetually  answers  wherever  it  is 
duly  received,  and  the  pernicious  errors  which  must 
possess  and  govern  the  minds  of  men  whilst  they  re¬ 
main  ignorant  of  it. 

The  perfection  of  the  law  of  God  will  evidently  ap¬ 
pear  by  comparing  it  with  other  laws,  and  observing  its 
greater  extent.  With  regard  to  human  laws,  even  the 


76 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


best  of  them  must  ever  prove  defective  in  this,  that 
they  cannot  reach  the  propensities  to  evil,  nor  take 
cognizance  of  the  intents  of  the  heart :  their  whole 
force  can  extend  no  further  than  to  forbid  acts  which 
would  disturb  the  public  peace.  The  law  of  God,  on 
the  contrary,  condemns,  under  pain  of  insupportable  pe¬ 
nalties,  the  latent  compliances  of  the  heart  with  tempta¬ 
tion^.  and  commands  us  to  resist  the  first  workings  of 
evil  within. 

If  it  be  said  the  law  of  conscience  is  not  defective  in 
this  respect  as  the  laws  of  the  state  must  be ;  that  this 
goes  deeper,  serving  as  a  supplement  to  them,  and  re¬ 
straining  where  the  power  of  a  penal  statute  cannot ;  it 
may  be  replied,  that  the  law  of  conscience  is  principally 
formed  by  the  manners  and  sentiments  of  those  with 
whom  we  are  educated,  and  with  whom  we  converse. 
Of  course  it  is  depraved  by  customs  and  prejudices  of 
various  kinds ;  it  must  prove,  therefore,  an  uncertain, 
and  sometimes  perhaps  a  dangerous,  instead  of  a  suffi¬ 
cient  rule  of  action.  But  the  law  of  Scripture  leaves  us 
in  no  such  difficulties ;  whilst  we  are  directed  by  it,  we 
are  following  no  other  guide  than  that  of  perfect  truth 
and  righteousness. 

The  law  which  is  established  for  the  peace  and  good 
government  of  nations,  is  often  severe  and  distressing 
to  individuals,  nor  can  it  be  otherwise ;  the  best,  there¬ 
fore,  is  that  which  is  accompanied  with  the  fewest  evils. 
But  the  law  of  God  is  equally  at  all  times,  and  in  all 
places,  of  universal  benefit :  wherever  it  is  most  con¬ 
scientiously  regarded,  there  the  greatest  measure  of 
happiness  will  certainly  be  enjoyed.  For  no  one  with 
truth  can  say  he  is  in  the  least  degree  aggrieved  by  it ; 
nor  can  any,  either  of  the  rich  or  the  poor,  whilst  they 
regard  their  true  comfort  or  interest,  have  cause  to 
wish  the  least  alteration  in  it. 

Again,  the  doctrine  or  law  which  the  moral  philoso- 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


77 


pliers  of  old  taught,  and  which  many  still  profess  great¬ 
ly  to  admire,  is  little  more  than  an  imposture,  covered  over 
with  swelling  words  of  vanity.  It  undertakes  to  annihi¬ 
late  the  passions,  yet  neither  promises  nor  intimates  that 
any  supernatural  aid  shall  be  afforded  to  accomplish 
such  an  arduous  work.  Nay,  it  encourages  instead  of 
condemning  some  of  the  worst  tempers  natural  to  man. 
It  cures  intemperance  and  the  thirst  for  revenge  by 
pride ;  the  sins  of  the  body  by  giving  indulgence  to 
those  of  the  mind:  that  is,  in  other  words,  it  makes  a 
man  less  like  a  beast  by  making  him  more  like  a  devil. 
Far  different  is  the  law  of  Scripture:  this  allows  no 
place  for  sinful  tempers  of  any  kind ;  it  strikes  at  the 
root  of  every  disposition  contrary  to  the  perfection  of 
the  soul. 

There  is,  however,  one  law  which  calls  for  a  more 
respectful  consideration ;  for  it  claims  the  God  of 
heaven  and  earth  for  its  author:  I  mean  the  Jewish 
Ceremonial  law.  Bat  even  this,  when  compared  with 
the  Moral,  will  appear  far  less  excellent.  For  though 
of  divine  appointment,  it  was  appropriated  only  to  one 
people  and  nation :  whereas  the  Moral  Law  extends  to 
all,  for  it  immediately  results  from  the  relation  of  man¬ 
kind  to  God,  as  their  Creator  and  Benefactor. 

In  the  Ceremonial  Law  there  was  only  a  relative  use 
and  worth  :  it  was  /to  serve  for  a  figure  for  the  time 
then  present ;  it  was  designed  with  no  other  view  than 
to  shadow  forth  Christ  the  substance,  and  then  to  cease 
for  ever  when  he  appeared.  But  the  Moral  Law  pos¬ 
sesses  an  excellence  which  endures  for  ever  :  and  whilst 
the  ordinances  of  the  one,  in  a  figurative  symbolical 
manner,  only  respected  inward  purity,  the  precepts  of 
the  other  are  directly  ordained  to  require  righteousness 
in  the  tempers  and  imaginations  of  the  heart. 

The  excellence  and  perfection  of  the  Moral  Law  will 
appear  still  more  manifest  from  a  brief  survey  of  what 


78 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


may  be  considered  as  an  epitome  of  it,  The  law  of  the 
Ten  Commandments.  From  their  extent  and  spirituality 
it  will  appear  indisputable,  that  its  precepts  are  design 
ed  to  secure  to  God  all  the  honor  due  unto  his  name,  t q 
sanctify  all  the  powers  of  man,  to  regulate  his  deport 
ment  in  every  condition  in  which  he  can  possibly  be 
placed,  and  to  point  out  the  most  exalted  degree  of 
holiness.  For  though  we  are  apt  injuriously  to  limit 
their  sense,  and  to  conclude,  with  an  air  of  confidence, 
that  they  mean  to  forbid  only  the  gross  outward  crimes 
which  the  first  sound  of  the  word  suggests ;  yet  from 
the  more  extensive  interpretation  given  to  some  of 
them  in  Scripture,  (see  Matt.  5  :  27 ;  1  John,  3:15; 
Matt.  22  :  36,)  we  may  justly  conclude  that  each  of  them 
is  spiritual  in  its  injunctions,  and  reaches  to  the  inmost 
affections  of  the  soul. 

Thus  the  First  Commandment  requires  that  the  bless¬ 
ed  God  should  reign  unrivalled  in  our  hearts:  that 
bodily  pleasure,  honor,  riches,  and  every  comfort  of  a 
worldly  kind,  should,  in  comparison  of  God,  be  vile  and 
contemptible  in  our  eyes.  The  Second  obliges  us  to  be 
religiously  careful  that  we  conceive  of  God  as  he  has 
revealed  himself  to  us,  neither  adding  to  nor  diminish¬ 
ing  from  his  character  as  drawn  in  his  word ;  that  in 
our  public  and  secret  worship  we  come  before  him  only 
in  the  way  which  he  has  appointed  ;  offering  to  him 
spiritual  praise,  thanksgiving  and  prayer ;  and  abhor¬ 
ring  the  very  appearance  of  idolatry.  The  Third  Com¬ 
mandment  requires  us  to  be  mindful  at  all  times  of  the 
majesty  of  God,  so  as  conscientiously  to  avoid  in  our 
thoughts  and  speech  whatever  savors  of  contempt,  irre¬ 
verence  or  forgetfulness  of  him.  The  Fourth  enjoins 
us,  upon  constant  solemn  seasons,  returning  in  quick 
succession,  to  lay  aside  every  worldly  occupation,  to  be 
as  it  were  insensible  to  the  things  of  sense  and  time,  in 
order  that  the  worth  of  the  soul  and  subjects  of  a  spi- 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


79 


ritual  nature  may  occupy  our  thoughts  and  more  strong 
ly  affect  our  minds.  The  Fifth  obliges  us,  as  soon  as 
we  are  capable  of  knowing  our  duty,  to  pay  a  sincere 
and  cheerful  obedience  to  our  parents ;  such  as  may 
testify  the  sense  we  have  of  the  benefits  that,  under 
God,  we  owe  to  them.  It  enjoins,  also,  a  respectful  and 
proper  behavior  to  superiors  of  every  kind,  to  the  king, 
to  magistrates,  to  ministers,  and  masters.  The  Sixth 
not  only  restrains  our  hands  from  murderous  violence, 
hut  condemns  every  degree  of  hatred  or  malice  in  the 
heart  The  Seventh  Commandment  requires  more  than 
a  renunciation  of  open  lewdness,  even  purity  of  desire  ; 
it  arraigns  and  condemns  as  a  trespass  the  very  looking 
upon  the  face  of  beauty  with  lusting  :  it  condemns  even 
such  spiritual  defilement  as  only  the  eye  of  God  can 
detect.  The  Eighth  is  a  barrier  against  every  injurious 
encroachment  which  our  self-love  and  worldly  spirit 
would  lead  us  to  make  upon  our  neighbor’s  rights :  it 
forbids  every  species  of  injustice  or  fraud,  however 
prevalent,  however  palliated  by  plausible  pretences. 
The  Ninth  exacts  from  us  an  inviolable  regard  to  truth 
in  every  declaration  by  which  the  character  of  our  fel¬ 
low-creatures  may  be  affected  ;  and  enjoins  us  to  subdue 
that  world  of  iniquity,  the  tongue,  which  is  so  impa¬ 
tient  of  yielding  to  the  law  of  brotherly,  kindness  and 
charity.  The  Last  Commandment  condemns  every 
covetous  desire,  and  every  degree  of  discontent  at  our 
appointed  situation. 

From  this  brief  account  of  the  sense  of  the  Ten  Com¬ 
mandments,  it  is  evident  that  there  is  not  a  moral  pre¬ 
cept  enjoined  in  any  part  of  the  Bible,  which  was  not 
virtually  contained  in  the  law  of  the  Two  Tables  de¬ 
livered  on  Mount  Sinai.  Our  Lord  justifies  this  conclu¬ 
sion  oy  explaining  in  this  manner  the  comprehensive 
import  of  the  Commandments.  Those  of  the  first  table 
he  considers  as  requiring  us  to  love  the  Lord  our  God 


80 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


with  all  our  heart,  and  with  all  our  soul,  and  with  all 
our  mind,  and  with  all  our  strength.  Mark,  12  :  30. 
"  With  all  our  heart,  and  with  all  our  soul,”  that  is, 
with  a  love  so  fervent  and  affectionate  as  to  desire  no¬ 
thing  in  comparison  of  his  favor  and  the  promotion  of 
his  glory  ;  to  regard  him  as  the  joy  of  our  prosperity, 
the  light  of  our  life,  and  our  portion  for  ever.  "With 
all  our  strength,”  that  is,  so  as  to  promote  the  fear  and 
love  of  his  name  bv  all  our  services  and  labors.  “  With 
all  our  mind,”  that  is,  by  all  the  means  which  our  rea¬ 
son  and  understanding  can  furnish  or  discover.  Thus 
are  all  our  powers  and  faculties  to  be  engaged  in  dis¬ 
charging  our  duty  towards  God  according  to  the  de¬ 
mands  of  this  spiritual  law. 

The  laws  of  the  second  table  also  our  Lord  interprets 
to  imply  an  obligation  "  to  love  our  neighbor  as  we  love 
ourselves :”  that  is,  to  pity  his  mistakes,  to  compassion¬ 
ate  his  infirmities,  to  conceal  his  faults,  to  exercise 
every  office  of  kindness  towards  him  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner  as  we  should  rejoice  to  have  it  exercised  towards 
ourselves. 

From  this  view  of  the  extent  of  the  law,  it  appears 
to  be  altogether  worthy  of  its  holy  Author,  the  God  of 
heaven  and  earth ;  who  is  at  once  jealous  of  the  honor 
of  his  name  amongst  men,  and  full  of  tender  regard  to 
their  welfare. 

The  excellent  ends  which  this’ law  answers,  wherever 
it  is  received  and  duly  regarded,  is  the  next  point  to  be 
considered. 

Now  one  most  obvious  use  is,  that  of  a  complete  stand¬ 
ard  of  good  and  evil.  Whilst  man  possessed  the  ori¬ 
ginal  excellence  he  received  from  the  hands  of  his 
Creator,  a  law  written  and  engraved  on  tables  of  stone 
was  needless.  Before  his  fall  the  graces  of  his  sout 
were  a  living  representation  of  the  spirit  of  the  law ; 
and  as  face  answereth  to  face  in  the  glass,  so  did  the 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


81 


unsullied  mind  of  Adam  to  the  will  of  God,  of  which 
the  law  is  the  perfect  transcript.  But  man  "  shapen 
in  iniquity  and  conceived  in  sin,”  is  darkened  in  his 
understanding,  and  nothing  of  that  law  of  righteousness 
remains  with  him  which  Adam  in  innocence  possessed 
Instead  of  innate  knowledge  of  the  truth,  man  must, 
now,  if  left  to  himself,  labor  by  slow  and  multiplied  de¬ 
ductions  to  know  his  duty.  So  defective  is  his  own  un¬ 
assisted  reason  in  determining  what  is  right  and  wrong, 
that  things  utterly  detestable  in  our  judgment,  who 
have  the  pure  light  of  the  law,  have  been  practised  and 
approved  in  polite  and  civilized  nations.  A  palpable 
proof  this  that  a  man  has  no  light  in  himself  sufficient 
to  exhibit  a  clear  rule  of  right. 

To  supply  his  want  in  this  most  important  matter  is 
one  obvious  design  of  the  law  which  God  enacted  from 
mount  Sinai.  This  delivers  man  from  his  own  fallacious 
reasonings  about  duty.  This  gives  him  to  understand 
what  are  the  peremptory  commands  of  God,  without 
leaving  him  in  the  perplexing  labyrinth  of  his  own  ima¬ 
gination.  This  demands  his  attention  to  a  short  but 
most  comprehensive  rule  of  action  ;  a  rule  which  claims 
the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  for  its  adorable  author,  and 
of  course  equally  excludes  all  doubt  and  all  debate. 

Another  standing  and  perpetual  use  of  the  law  is,  by 
its  penalty,  to  deter  from  rebelling  against  God  those 
whom  more  generous  motives  will  not  restrain.  The 
law  represents  the  thunder-bolt  of  divine  indignation  as 
ready  to  fall  every  moment  upon  the  offender  against 
God :  it  brings  upon  him  a  dread  of  God  as  the  judge 
”  who  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  but  on  the  contrary, 
who  will  "  visit  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  them 
that  hate  him,”  whilst  he  shows  "  mercy  unto  thousands 
of  them  that  love  him  and  keep  his  commandments.” 
The  inclinations  of  the  heart,  it  is  true,  when  only  con- 

4# 


82 


COMPLETE  DUTV  OF  MAN. 


fined  by  external  restraint,  remain  evil  as  before ;  yet 
the  mischief  that  would  follow,  if  they  were  indulged, 
is  thus  prevented  As  men  who  do  not  abhor  what  is 
criminal,  yet,  through  fear  of  punishment,  dare  not  dis¬ 
turb  the  peace  of  society  by  acts  of  violence,  so  there 
are  thousands  kept  from  excess  in  wickedness  by  a 
dread  of  the  threatening  annexed  to  the  transgression 
of  the  law  of  God. 

To  serve  as  a  standard  of  right  and  wrong,  and  to 
deter  from  offences,  are  uses  which  the  law  of  God  has 
in  common  with  human  laws.  But  besides  these  there 
are  others  which  are  peculiar  to  it :  the  Bible  assures 
us  the  law  was  given  "  that  ''every  mouth  might  be 
stopped,  and  all  the  world  become  guilty  before  God.” 
Rom.  3:19,  It  was  given  also,  says  the  apostle,  to 
serve  as  a  "  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ : — who 
is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one 
who  believeth.”  Gal.  3  :  24.  Rom.  10  :  4. 

Now  that  it  is  a  principal  design  of  the  Law  to  con¬ 
found  all  who  trust  in  themselves  as  righteous,  and  to 
bring  on  them  a  conviction  of  guilt ,  is  plain  from  the 
titles  given  to  it  in  Scripture,  and  the  reasonings  of  the 
apostle  concerning  it.  The  law  of  the  Ten  command¬ 
ments  is  distinguished  by  the  apostle  from  the  ceremo¬ 
nial  one,  by  styling  it  the  law  written  and  engraven  in 
tables  of  stone.  After  this  distinction  is  made,  which 
clearly  identifies  the  law  of  which  the  apostle  was 
treating,  he  gives  it  the  title  of  "  the  ministration  of 
condemnation.”  2  Cor.  3 :  9.  This  title  implies  a  law 
which,  though  it  may  perfectly  lay  before  man  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  his  duty,  yet  it  also  inexorably  condemns  him. 
It  allows  no  plea  which  he  can  offer  to  obtain  an  ac¬ 
quittal.  The  necessary  result  of  its  operation  when  the 
natural  state  of  man  is  considered,  must  be  that  of  uni¬ 
versal  condemnation  rather  than  acquittal,  unless  a  Me¬ 
diator  be  found  to  interpose  and  save. 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


83 


But  lest  a  single  declaration  of  this  most  awful  truth 
should  be  evaded  or  forgotten,  or  lest  we  should  think 
slightly  of  that  condemnation  to  which  the  law  subjects 
every  transgressor,  it  is  therefore  again  called  by  that 
distressing  name,  "  the  ministration  of  death.”  This 
teaches  us,  that  having  arraigned  and  convicted  man, 
it  pronounces  him  condemned ;  exposed,  without  any 
power  in  himself  to  overcome  or  evade  his  sentence,  to 
death.  And  lest  it  should  be  doubted  whether  by  death 
is  meant  spiritual  destruction,  or  merely  the  dissolution 
of  the  body,  it  is  further  styled,  "the  strength  of  sin.” 
1  Cor.  15:56.  This  intimates  that  the  formidable  power 
which  binds  over  every  unpardoned  offender  to  answer 
for  his  sins,  and  transmits  him  after  judgment  to  suffer 
the  pains  of  hell,  is  the  Law.  In  confirmation  of  this 
its  grand  design  to  prove  our  ruined  condition,  without 
a  Savior,  believers  are  exhorted  to  abound  in  thankful¬ 
ness  to  God  for  giving  them  a  "victory,  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,”  over  this  law,  which,  through  the 
corruption  of  human  nature,  is  become  their  dreadful 
accuser.  Christ  is  therefore  celebrated  as  an  inesti¬ 
mable  benefactor  to  his  church,  not  merely  because  he 
gave  us  an  example  that  we  should  follow  his  steps,  not 
merely  because  he  came  to  save  those  who  trust  in  him 
from  the  temptations  of  a  seducing  world,  or  from  the 
power  of  Satan ;  but  because  he  hath  "  redeemed  us 
from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us.” 
Gal.  3:  13. 

Still  farther,  God  has  been  pleased  to  use  an  admira¬ 
ble  method  for  explaining  important  doctrines  of  his 
word,  by  exhibiting  them  in  the  history  and  experience 
of  his  servants.  In  this  way  of  example  he  has  taught 
us  that  the  law  of  the  ten  commandments  was  given  to 
convince  man  of  his  guilt  and  sinfulness.  St.  Paul  is 
chosen,  and  by  inspiration  directed  to  relate  his  phari- 
saical  ignorance  of  the  grand  design  of  the  law,  and 


84 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


then  to  describe  the  change  produced  in  his  mind  by  a 
just  and  clear  knowledge  of  it.  "  I  was  alive,”  says  he, 
"  without  the  law  once secure  and  self-satisfied,  I  re¬ 
garded  the  moral  law  as  the  rule  by  which  man  was  to 
be  justified  before  God;  and  I  thought  that  I  had  paid 
such  an  obedience  to  it  as,  considering  human  infirmity, 
must  render  me  acceptable  to  God.  "  But  when  the 
commandment  came,”  that  is,  when  the  design  of  it  was 
duly  understood  by  me,  "  sin  revived,”  it  became  strong 
and  irresistible  in  its  accusations  against  me,  "  and  I 
died;”  my  self-confidence  vanished,  and  I  saw  and  con¬ 
fessed  myself  to  be  a  ruined  sinner  before  the  holy  law 
of  God.  ”  And  the  commandment  which  was  ordained 
to  life,”  which  was  originally  designed  to  be  to  the  first 
man  a  covenant  of  life,  "  I  found  to  be  unto  death :”  so 
far  from  justifying  or  acquitting  me,  it  condemned  and 
bound  me  over  to  the  misery  of  hell.  Should  it  be  said 
that  the  apostle,  in  this  passage,  speaks  not  in  his  own 
but  in  an  assumed  character,  we  may  observe  that  he 
expresses  himself  to  the  very  same  purpose  in  his  Epis¬ 
tle  to  the  Galatians  :  when  evidently  speaking  in  his 
own  proper  person,  "  I,”  says  he,  "  through  the  law, 
am  dead  to  the  law  :”  through  the  just  knowledge  I  now 
have  of  the  extent  of  its  precepts,  and  of  God’s  grand 
design  by  it,  not  to  justify  but  to  condemn  every  living 
soul,  I  have  entirely  renounced  all  dependence  upon  the 
law,  as  able  to  acquit  me  from  guilt  on  account  of  any 
obedience  I  can  pay  to  it :  "I  am  dead  to  the  law,  that 
I  might  live  unto  God,”  by  faith  in  his  Son. 

And  lest  all  this  proof  should  not  be  sufficient  to  con 
vince  men,  whose  pride  and  self-conceit  would  dispose 
them  to  reject  this  humbling  doctrine,  and  lead  them  to 
confine  these  declarations  to  the  Jewish  and  ceremonial 
law;  the  apostle  takes  particular  care  to  assert  such 
things  of  the  law  of  which  he  was  treating,  as  in  no 
sense  are,  nor  ever  were,  true  of  the  ceremonial.  Thus 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAW. 


85 


the  law  of  which  St.  Paul  speaks,  is  one  "  by  which 
every  mouth  shall  be  stopped,  and  all  the  world  become 
guilty  before  God.”  But  the  ceremonial  law  never  was, 
nor  can  be  urged  to  condemn  us  gentiles,  or  to  show 
our  guilt  in  any  degree.  The  law  of  which  the  apostle 
speaks,  is  a  law  established  by  faith,  but  faith  absolutely 
abolished  the  Jewish  law.  It  is  a  law  to  which  the  be¬ 
lieving  Romans  were  married  ;  but  many  of  them  never 
submitted  to  the  ceremonial  one.  It  is  a  law,  according 
to  which  the  man  that  doeth  these  things  shall  live  by 
them.  A  law  which,  if  the  uncircumcision  keep,  his  un¬ 
circumcision  shall  be  counted  for  circumcision.  It  is  a 
law  which  is  spiritual,  whereas  the  ceremonial  consisted 
of  carnal  ordinances.  These  properties,  which  cannot 
be  applied  to  the  ceremonial  law,  evidently  prove  the 
law  in  the  apostle’s  view  to  have  been  the  moral  one 
of  which  the  ten  commandments  is  a  summary. 

Now,  after  such  various  testimonies,  what  more  can 
reasonably  be  demanded,  to  prove  that  one  principal 
end  for  which  the  law  is  ordained,  is  to  convince 
every  man  living  of  his  guilt  and  sinfulness  in  the 
sight  of  God 


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86 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

OJF  THE  E&  W. -continued. 


ITS  USE  AS  PREPARATORY  TO  THE  GOSPEL. 

We  have  already  considered  the  perfection  and  ex¬ 
tent  of  the  law :  we  have  taken  a  view  of  it  as  a  rule 
which  determines  our  duty  in  all  cases.  We  have  also 
produced  several  sacred  testimonies  to  prove  that  it 
was  designed  to  humble  the  pride  of  man,  and  to  serve 
to  him  as  a  ministration  of  condemnation.  But,  connect¬ 
ed  with  this,  the  law  answers  another  important  pur¬ 
pose — "  It  was  given,”  saith  the  apostle,  "to  serve  as 
a  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ .”  This  use  of  the 
law  is  what  I  now  propose  to  explain.  But  it  will  he 
useful  previously  to  remove  the  objections  which  pride 
and  prejudice  are  ready  to  bring  against  the  law  on  ac¬ 
count  of  what  they  term  inexorable  rigor. 

You  think  it  hard,  then,  that  we  should  be  under  a 
law  whose  demands  are  so  strict  and  rigid  1  But  what 
less  than  perfect  love  and  sinless  obedience  can  be  due 
from  a  reasonable  intelligent  creature  to  his  adorable 
Maker!  To  suppose  a  law  given  of  God,  which  would 
admit  of  imperfect  love  and  obedience,  would  leave  it 
impossible  to  determine  what  is  sin,  and  what  is  not > 
for  sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law.  But  if  the  law 
itself  would  be  satisfied  with  sincerity  of  intention  only, 
or  merely  with  the  best  kind  of  obedience  which  a  cor¬ 
rupted  creature  could  pay  to  it,  how  could  any  trans¬ 
gression  of  it  be  defined !  Upon  this  supposition,  it 
would  he  essential  to  the  law  to  admit  of  imperfection 
and  sin.  Besides,  were  we  to  suppose  that  God  could 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  GOSPEL. 


87 


overlook  one  transgression  of  his  law,  we  should  natu- 
rah/,  and  I  think  might  justly,  conclude  that  he  would 
overlook  more  ;  and  where,  then,  shall  we  stop  !  Who 
shall  say  how  far  we  may,  or  may  not  go  with  impunity  1 
And  what  must  this  prove  in  the  end,  but  giving  man 
liberty  to  fix  the  bounds  according  to  his  own  will  ] 
What  but  putting  man  in  possession  of  a  right  to  dis¬ 
pense  with  the  law  of  God  at  pleasure,  and  thus  in 
effect  to  abrogate  it  1  It  is  therefore  a  contrivance 
every  way  worthy  of  infinite  wisdom,  to  publish  a  law 
which  is  a  perfect  representation  of  God’s  glorious  ho¬ 
liness  ;  and  to  annex  to  every  the  least  transgression  of 
it,  condemnation  and  the  curse. 

If  you  say  that  such  a  representation  of  the  law  shuts 
up  all  men,  without  exception,  in  hopeless  condemnation , 
I  answer,  it  does  indeed  show  them  that  they  have  de¬ 
stroyed  themselves,  and  it  proves  that  they  can  find  sal 
vation  only  in  the  way  the  Gospel  reveals:  for  there  is 
no  other  way  by  which  men  can  be  saved.  God  must 
alike  require  obedience  at  all  times,  and  it  is  one  great 
design  of  all  Scripture,  and  especially  of  the  renewal  of 
the  law  by  Moses,  to  ground  us  in  this  truth,  that  every 
act  of  disobedience  is  a  forfeiture  of  all  claim  to  the 
favor  of  God,  and  subjects  us  to  punishment.  Where, 
then,  else  will  you  in  this  extremity  look  for  safety ? 
Will  you  say  to  God,  "have  patience  with  me,  and  I 
will  pay  thee  alii”  Will  you  venture  your  soul  upon 
the  perfection  of  your  own  works  1  This  you  dare  not. 
This  you  see  is  at  once  to  give  yourself  up  to  destruc¬ 
tion.  Perhaps  you  will  vflee  to  your  sincerity,  taking  it 
for  granted  that  God,  notwithstanding  the  confessed 
imperfections  of  your  obedience,  will  accept  it  for  its 
sincerity.  But  what  Scripture  warrant  have  you  to  say, 
that  though  God  required  a  perfect  obedience  to  his 
law  at  one  time,  and  in  one  age  of  the  world,  he  has 
now  discharged  men  from  that  obligation,  and  will  ac- 


88 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


cept  at  their  hands  such  an  obedience  as  they  are  now 
able  to  offer  him,  be  it  ever  so  unworthy  his  acceptance, 
or  short  of  the  demands  of  his  law  1  It  is  presumption 
to  think  thus,  without  especial  ground  from  the  word 
of  God ;  and  there  you  will  certainly  find  none  for  this 
novel  and  mischievous  opinion.  Besides,  what  would 
you  gain  by  this  opinion,  unless  you  could  answer  for 
your  sincerity  to  that  God  "whose  eyes  are  as  a  flame 
of  fire,  searching  the  heart  V’  For  if  you  make  sin¬ 
cerity  the  ground  of  your  acceptance  with  God,  you 
must  stand  or  fall  by  it ;  and  are  obliged  to  make  it 
good,  without  any  failure  or  blemish,  on  pain  of  eternal 
condemnation.  So  that  still  you  are  upon  no  founda¬ 
tion  for  life,  for  solid  peace  and  comfort. 

It  was,  therefore,  merciful  in  God  to  constitute  his 
law  a  ministration  of  condemnation:  it  acts  like  an  en¬ 
gine  of  irresistible  force,  to  sweep  away  from  us  every 
refuge  of  lies  in  which  man  would  vainly  seek  a  deceit¬ 
ful  security;  it  compels  us  to  renounce  those  false  pleas 
for  obtaining  mercy,  which,  so  soon  as  the  light  of  truth 
shines  into  our  hearts,  we  shall  be  ashamed  we  could 
even  so  much  as  think  of  using. 

Having  thus  endeavored  to  remove  the  objections 
which  might  be  urged  against  the  law  as  harsh  and  se¬ 
vere,  I  proceed  to  explain  its  principal  design — a  design 
replete  with  benevolence,  and  productive  of  the  great¬ 
est  good  to  man.  The  law  is  intended  to  act  as  a 
schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ.  No  sooner  can  we 
perceive  ourselves  actually  cut  off  from  every  hope  of 
mercy  which  we  were  wont  to  entertain  on  account  of 
our  own  performances  and  worth,  than  we  shall  find 
ourselves  prepared,  and  as  it  were  compelled,  to  put 
our  whole  trust  in  the  grace  of  God,  manifested  in 
Christ,  in  that  scheme  of  marvellous  love  to  man,  which 
is  called  "  the  righteousness  of  God  without  the  law, — 
which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  all,  and  upon  all 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  GOSPEL. 


89 


them  that  believe.”  Rora.  3  :  21,  22.  A  true  knowledge 
of  the  nature  and  end  of  the  law  sounds  an  alarm  to  the 
conscience,  which  was  before  asleep,  dreaming  of  peace 
when  there  was  no  peace.  Thus  alarmed,  the  ear  is 
opened  to  listen  to  the  word  of  reconciliation  declared 
by  Christ,  and  the  heart  is  disposed  earnestly  to  apply 
to  the  Redeemer,  as  to  one  who  alone  is  able  to  save 
from  such  insupportable  misery  as  the  curse  of  the  law. 

It  is  the  law  also,  which,  continually  showing  us,  by 
the  exhibition  of  its  own  purity,  our  deficiency  and  cor¬ 
ruption,  and  approving  itself  to  our  consciences  as  just 
and  good,  stimulates  us  to  earnest  endeavors  to  resist  and 
subdue  the  body  of  sin.  Hence  that  internal  conflict  of 
which  the  apostle  speaks  so  feelingly,  Rom.  7:18:  "I 
know,”  says  he,  "  that  in  me,  that  is  in  my  flesh,  dwell- 
eth  no  good  thing;  for  to  will  is  present  with  me,  but 
how  to  perform,”  as  the  law  requires,  "  that  which  is 
good  I  find  not.  For  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after 
the  inward  man,  but  I  see  another  law  in  my  members 
warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind.”  In  other  words,  I 
perceive  two  contrary  principles  within  me,  the  one  de¬ 
rived  from  God,  the  other  the  produce  of  my  corrupt 
nature  ;  that  leading  me  forward  to  heaven,  and  ap¬ 
proving  the  spiritual  demands  of  the  law ;  this  opposing 
my  progress  and  struggling  against  me.  My  mind  is  a 
field  of  battle,  where  all  my  passions  exert  their  several 
efforts  to  gain  a  conquest  over  me.  In  this  case  what 
must  be  done  1  St.  Paul  instructs  us  by  his  own  exam¬ 
ple.  After  asking  the  question  with  much  emphasis, 
"  O  wretched  man  that  I  am!  who  shall  deliver  me  from 
the  body  of  this  death  1”  he  relieves  himself  from  every 
despondent  thought  by  saying,  ”  I  thank  God,”  that  is, 
for  his  grace,  “through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.”  This, 
this  alone  it  is  which  can  and  will  deliver  me. 

Into  this  pungent  sensibility  of  our  own  sinfulness  it 
is  the  intention  of  God  by  his  law  to  bring  us  :  that  so 


90 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


we  may  be  able,  which  otherwise  we  never  should,  to 
behold  the  necessity  and  glory  of  the  redemption  there 
is  in  Jesus.  He  has  mercifully  ordained  the  law,  and 
annexed  the  curse  to  the  least  breach  of  it,  that  he  might 
shut  up  every  door  of  hope,  except  that  by  which  the 
fullest  pardon  and  the  richest  mercy  are  dispensed  to 
sinners.  The  thunders  and  lightnings  on  Mount  Sinai 
are  designed  to  make  us  account  ourselves  unspeakably 
happy  in  being  allowed  access  to  Mount  Zion,  the  joy 
of  the  whole  earth,  the  city  of  the  living  God,  where 
the  divine  goodness  shines  forth  in  the  perfection  of 
beauty. 

That  this  is  no  human  scheme  of  doctrine,  but  the 
truth  of  God’s  holy  word,  is  manifest.  u  The  Scripture,” 
says  the  apostle,  "  has  concluded  all  under  sin,  that  the 
promise  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be 
given  to  them  that  believe.”  Gal.  3  :  22.  The  apostle 
is  here  proving  that  the  law,  in  the  possession  of  which 
the  Jews  greatly  boasted,  was  so  far  from  lessening  the 
necessity  of  salvation  by  Christ,  or  from  interfering 
with  this  adorable  scheme  of  grace,  that,  when  rightly 
understood,  it  acted  strongly  in  subserviency  to  it.  For 
such  is  our  natural  pride  and  self-sufficiency,  so  slight 
our  thoughts  of  the  evil  of  sin,  so  extravagant  our  con¬ 
ceit  of  the  extent  of  God’s  mercy,  that  if  we  did  not 
perceive  ourselves  condemned  by  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord,  and  doomed  as  criminals  to  suffer  the  execution 
of  eternal  justice,  there  is  not  one  of  us  who  would 
come  to  the  Son  of  God  for  life  ;  God  has  therefore,  by 
his  law,  actually  shut  us  up  as  rebels  against  his  govern¬ 
ment,  under  a  total  inability  of  making  reparation  for 
our  treason.  This  he  has  done,  that  our  haughty  spirit 
being  humbled  through  a  sense  of  our  miserable  condi¬ 
tion,  we  might  embrace  with  all  possible  thankfulness 
the  grace  offered  to  us  in  Christ. 

Thus  the  law,  or  rule  of  perfect  obedience,  came  by 


THE  LAW  AIsD  THE  GOSPEL. 


31 

Mdses,  but  grace  and  truth  by  Jesus  Christ.  ”  For  what 
the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the 
flesh,”  that  is,  through  the  corruption  of  human  nature, 
"  God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
flesh,  and  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh ;  that  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit,” — a  pas¬ 
sage  this,  so  pertinent  to  the  subject,  and  so  full  of  in¬ 
struction,  that  it  demands  our  serious  attention.  Con¬ 
sider  therefore  the  aim,  and  trace  the  progress  of  the 
apostle’s  reasoning.  He  is  clearing  up  and  confirming 
that  great  privilege  of  the  Gospel,  that  "  there  is  now 
no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
who,”  in  consequence  of  their  faith  in  him,  ”  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.”  To  this  St.  Paul 
knew  some  would  be  ready  to  object  and  say,  How  can 
this  be,  since  every  believer  falls  short  of  perfect  obe¬ 
dience,  he  offends  against  the  law,  and  therefore  must 
be  liable  to  its  curse  1  The  answer  is,  Believers  are  de¬ 
livered  from  condemnation,  because  of  "  the  Spirit  of 
life  in  Christ  Jesus.”  That  new  dispensation,  introduced 
in  the- room  of  the  old  law,  promises  pardon  and  the 
gift  of  the  Spirit,  in  which  things  the  true  life  and  real 
happiness  of  mankind  consist.  By  this  new  and  gracious 
dispensation,  "  God  hath  made  me,”  saith  the  apostle, 
"  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death ;”  from  that  law 
which  convinced  me  of  sin,  condemned  me  for  it,  and 
bound  me  over  to  suffer  death. 

These  are  glad  tidings  doubtless :  but  are  they  not 
attended  with  two  inconveniences  1  Does  not  this  pro¬ 
cedure  deprive  the  law  of  its  due  honors,  and  does  it 
not  screen  the  offender  from  his  deserved  punishment! 
By  no  means  j  for  that  which  was  an  absolute  impossi¬ 
bility  to  men,  on  account  of  the  strictness  of  the  law 
and  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  God,  to  whom  no¬ 
thing  is  impossible,  has  most  wonderfully  accomplished ; 


92 


COMILETE  DUTV  OF  MAN. 


by  "  sending  his  own  Son,  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,” 
to  live  among  sinners,  to  perform  the  perfect  obedience 
due  from  them,  and  also  to  be  a  sacrifice  "  for  sin,” 
having  it  charged  upon  him,  and  suffering  its  punish¬ 
ment.  By  this  grand  expedient  God  has  provided  for 
the  honor  and  perfect  accomplishment  of  the  law.  He 
has  also  "condemned”  and  punished  "sin”  "in  the 
flesh,”  in  that  very  nature  which  was  guilty,  disabled 
and  ruined.  Should  it  be  further  asked,  wherefore  is  all 
this  1  It  is  to  lay  the  surest  foundation,  and  to  make  the 
most  complete  provision  for  our  justification.  It  is 
"  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law,”  both  its  righteous 
sentence  and  its  righteous  precept,  whatever  either  of 
suffering  or  obedience  it  required,  being  fulfilled  in 
Christ,  "  might  be  fulfilled  in  us.”  As  it  was  all  done 
in  our  name  ;  and  as  he  and  we  are  one,  since  he  is  our 
representative  and  our  surety,  so  his  righteous  acts,  in 
their  beneficial  efficacy,  are  ours,  and  his  atoning  death 
is  ours  :  ours,  "  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,”  who  have 
our  conversation  towards  God  and  man,  not  according 
to  the  principles  of  corrupt  nature,  though  to  our  grief 
they  still  have  place  within  us,  "  but  after  the  Spirit,” 
according  to  higher  and  divine  principles,  which  are  im¬ 
planted  in  our  hearts,  and  continually  supported  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Rom.  8  :  1-4. 

You  have  now  placed  before  you  in  one  view  the 
scriptural  account  of  the  nature  and  design  of  the  law. 
And  unless  pride,  and  the  doctrines  of  men  calculated 
to  sooth  that  worst  disease  of  our  minds,  mislead  us, 
we  shall  be  persuaded  that  this  representation  of  strict¬ 
ness  equally  secures  the  honor  of  God  and  our  own 
comfort  in  serving  him.  It  is  the  purity  of  the  law  which 
enhances  and  endears  above  all  expression  the  perfect 
obedience  of  Christ,  both  active  and  passive,  and  the 
imputation  of  his  merits,  that  special  crowning  mercy 
of  the  new  covenant.  Against  this  view  of  the  nature 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  GOSPEL. 


93 


of  the  law  there  is  however  a  common  and  plausible  ob¬ 
jection  made,  which  it  may  be  necessary,  before  I  pro¬ 
ceed  further,  to  obviate. 

It  is  urged  then,  that  by  showing  the  impossibility  of 
answering  the  demands  of  the  law,  you  in  fact  weaken 
our  obligations  to  the  law;  and  by  extolling  the  obe¬ 
dience  of  Christ,  as  the  only  ground  of  hope  to  man, 
you  diminish  the  value  of  our  obedience  ;  and  that  hence 
a  door  is  opened  for  lice?itiousness.  Without  doubt  the 
doctrines  of  divine  grace  may  be  thus  abused,  and  it  is 
to  be  feared  that  many  weak  and  corrupt  men  have  so 
abused  them ;  but  it  may  be  replied,  what  doctrine  may 
not  be  perverted  1  Is  not  the  display  of  the  patience  and 
mercy  of  God  equally  liable  to  licentious  abuse  as  this 
doctrine  1  But  will  you,  on  account  of  the  general  abuse 
of  these  perfections  of  God,  be  jealous  of  them  as  pre¬ 
judicial  to  the  cause  of  practical  religion  I  or  will  you 
deny  their  existence  because  the  avowal  of  them  may 
have  a  bad  tendency  I  The  thought  is  dreadful,  and  the 
consequence  would  be  universal  destruction.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  doctrine  of  the  law,  when  you  infer  from 
the  impossibility  of  your  being  justified  by  your  obe¬ 
dience  to  it,  the  necessity  of  being  saved  by  faith  in  the 
Redeemer.  Act  then  with  respect  to  both  in  the  same 
manner ;  maintain  the  doctrines,  detest  and  expose  the 
abuse  of  them. 

But  if  you  were  to  give  up  this  scriptural  idea  of 
the  law,  still  it  remains  to  be  considered  whether  you 
would  gain  any  thing  in  favor  of  the  interests  of  prac¬ 
tical  religion  1  No :  you  would  only  grant  men  the 
liberty  of  explaining  the  law  according  to  their  own  in¬ 
clinations  in  a  manner  subversive  of  the  fear  and  love 
of  God,  and  of  regard  to  his  authority.  It  must  be  re¬ 
membered  also,  that  when  the  apostles  assert  the  im¬ 
possibility  of  justification  by  the  law,  they  do  not,  there¬ 
fore,  make  void  the  law :  when  they  extol  the  grace  and 


34 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


mercy  of  Christ,  they  by  no  means  allow  of  continu 
ance  in  sin.  "  Shall  we  continue  in  sin  that  grace  may 
abound  1  Do  we,  then,  make  void  the  law  by  faith  1  yea, 
we  establish  the  law.”  This  is  their  constant  reply  to 
all  who  arraign  the  doctrine  of  grace  as  licentious.  In¬ 
deed  it  is  the  chosen,  and  by  experience  it  is  found  to 
be  the  only  successful  means  of  turning  the  heart  to 
God  in  love.  Its  genuine  operation  is  to  bind  us  to  him 
in  everlasting  bonds  of  gratitude  and  willing  obedience. 
Know  your  guilt  and  weakness,  your  desert  and  dan¬ 
ger  ;  think  what  you  are  bound  to  by  the  law,  and  what 
you  have  to  trust  to  if  left  under  its  power ;  view,  then, 
the  loving-kindness  of  God  in  giving  his  Son  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness,  and  then  say,  is  it  possible  to  sin  against 
so  much  goodness  1  Granting  there  may  be  found  such 
depravity  in  the  heart  of  man,  still  you  must  allow  that 
such  a  representation,  both  of  the  justice  and  the  mercy 
of  God,  if  any  thing  can,  will  awaken  a  thought  in  you 
of  returning  to  God,  will  bend  your  stubborn  will,  and 
make  you  hate  iniquity. 

It  is  highly  unreasonable,  therefore,  to  charge  that 
doctrine  with  encouraging  sin,  which  not  only  does  not 
allow  it,  but  which  affords  the  strongest  motives  to 
cause  us  to  abstain  from  it,  and  gives  the  highest  ideas 
of  its  evil,  and  of  the  purity  of  the  law  which  forbids  it. 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LAW. 


95 


CHAPTER  IX. 


OF  TIFF  Ful  Jl\ — €ontimud. 

THE  EVILS  ARISING  FROM  IGNORANCE  OF  IT. 

In  ther  two  former  chapters  we  have  explained  the 
perfection  and  design  of  the  law :  its  perfection,  as  re¬ 
quiring  unsullied  obedience  under  the  penalty  of  con¬ 
demnation  to  eternal  punishment ;  its  design,  as  leading 
men  to  flee  for  safety  to  Christ,  and  to  repose  their  hope 
upon  his  merits.  Wherever  this  perfection  and  design 
are  misunderstood,  wherever  a  lower  opinion  of  its 
purity  is  indulged,  or  a  different  view  of  its  design  is 
entertained,  there  errors  of  the  most  dangerous  kind 
prevail,  which  it  will  now  be  my  business  to  explain. 

1.  Ignorance  of  the  law  of  God  must  leave  you  in  a 
fatal  mistake  respecting  your  real  character  before  him. 
You  will  imagine  that  you  stand  upon  honorable  terms 
with  your  Maker,  and  have  continued  from  your  birth 
a  fit  object  for  his  favor,  provided  you  have  fallen  into 
no  infamous  transgressions.  You  will  not  confess  your¬ 
self  a  criminal  justly  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  God, 
merely  because  you  come  short  in  duty  or  offend  in 
many  points  of  lesser  moment.  The  knowledge  that 
judgment  is  come  upon  all  men  to  condemnation,  is  only 
derived  from  a  just  view  of  the  law  ;  and  till  you  per¬ 
ceive  that  it  requires  sinless  perfection,  and  on  failure 
of  this,  justly  pronounces  its  curse  upon  you,  you  will 
not  acknowledge  yourself  to  be  a  guilty,  ruined  sinner 
in  the  sight  of  God. 

More  especially  if  you  have  had  some  early  sense  of 
your  duty  towards  God,  and  have  for  conscience,  sake 


96 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


refrained  from  the  sins  common  to  your  age  and  con 
dition  of  life ;  in  this  case  ignorance  of  the  law  will 
leave  you  under  a  strong  conceit  of  your  own  safe  and 
happy  state.  Calls  to  repentance  you  will  think  belong 
to  those  only  who  have  been  enslaved  by  open  vices, 
from  which  you  have  been  always  free — to  those  who 
have  never  led  that  innocent  life  from  their  youth  up, 
which  you  have  done.  Self-flattery  will  stir  up  in  your 
heart  resentment  against  all  attempts  to  make  you  know 
yourself,  and  to  bring  you  before  God  with  true  humili¬ 
ation  and  faith  in  his  Son.  Every  thing  of  this  kind  will 
kindle  your  indignation  as  a  cruel  design  to  wound  your 
peace,  and  to  make  you  appear  far  more  wicked  in  your 
own  eyes  than  in  truth  you  are. 

So  capital  an  error  will  tend  also  to  frustrate  the  ad¬ 
vantages  of  a  good  education,  and  to  pervert  even  the 
blessing  of  God’s  restraining  grace.  It  will  lead  you 
to  lay  a  stress  upon  them  they  will  not  bear,  and  pre¬ 
vent  your  feeling  the  humility  they  were  designed  to 
convey.  It  will  even  make  that  virtuous  character 
which  has  gained  you  so  much  esteem  amongst  men, 
prove  a  greater  obstacle  in  the  way  of  your  salvation 
than  gross  wickedness  proves  to  others.  Great  sins 
carry  with  them  their  own  condemnation :  they  have  a 
tendency  to  excite,  on  the  first  lucid  interval  of  con¬ 
sideration,  strong  confessions  of  guilt  and  fervent  cries 
for  mercy;  whereas  a  conduct  externally  regulated  by 
the  law  of  God,  imperfectly  understood,  does  but  mi¬ 
nister  fuel  to  self-sufficiency  and  self-applause.  Hence 
it  is  that  we  read  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  justify¬ 
ing  themselves :  they  were  regular,  they  were  decent, 
they  were  religious,  but  ignorant  of  the  spirituality  of 
die  law.  They  could  see  no  need  either  of  their  repent¬ 
ance  or  of  the  grace  of  a  Savior.  In  the  same  false 
conceit  of  your  own  character  you  will  continue,  whilst 
ignorant  of  the  law ;  and  either  audaciously  contradict 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LAW. 


97 


what  God  has  declared  of  the  guilt  of  the  human  race, 
or  equivocate  about  it  till  you  have  reduced  it  to  an 
empty  name. 

On  the  contrary,  when,  to  use  the  apostle’s  empha- 
tical  term,  "  the  commandment  has  slain  you  when 
you  have  considered  and  allowed  the  demands  of  the 
law,  and  its  penalty  upon  the  least  defect,  then,  without 
disgust  or  hesitation,  you  will  confess  your  guilt  and 
sinfulness ;  you  will  own  that  you  are  condemned  by  a 
law  which  claims  Him  for  its  author  who  only  is  able 
to  save  or  to  destroy.  Whatever  sins,  therefore,  you 
may  have  escaped,  either  by  the  influence  of  education 
or  the  restraints  of  grace,  and  whatever  degree  of  just 
reputation  you  have  gained  amongst  men,  though  you 
will  be  humbly  thankful  for  them,  yet  still  you  will 
remember  that  these  advantages  alter  not  your  state 
respecting  God,  though  they  have  happily  prevented  the 
multiplication  of  your  crimes.  Though  innocent  of  those 
flagrant  iniquities  which  abound  in  the  world,  you  will 
confess  yourself  a  transgressor,  justly  liable  to  eternal 
punishment,  if  dealt  with  according  to  your  desert. 

Happy  conviction  of  guilt !  which  performs  the  bene¬ 
ficent  office  the  Baptist  discharged  of  old,  preparing  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  and  rendering  his  salvation  inesti¬ 
mably  precious  to  the  soul. 

2.  Ignorance  of  the  law  produces  corrupt  principles 
of  obedience.  The  blessed  God  has,  by  right  of  creation, 
an  indefeasible  claim  to  our  submission.  This  claim  he 
has  enforced  by  his  own  express  command.  He  has  ad¬ 
ded  also  the  highest  commendations  of  an  obedient  spi¬ 
rit,  and  promised  to  it  an  everlasting  reward.  But  a 
perverse  construction  is  too  generally  put  upon  the  en¬ 
couragement  he  has  thus  given  to  holiness,  where  the 
law  is  not  understood ;  and  in  consequence  the  very 
obedience  paid  to  his  commandments  is  paid  upon  false 
principles,  such  as  render  it  odious  in  God’s  sight. 

Duty  of  Man.  5 


98 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Thus  some  regard  the  precepts  which  enjoin  liberality 
to  the  needy,  and  are  very  large  in  their  donations, 
hoping  by  this  to  atone  for  their  licentiousness  and  sen 
suality ;  for  they  say,  "  Blessed  is  he  that  considered 
the  poor  and  needy.”  Others  are  conscientiously  true 
to  their  word,  and  faithful  to  all  their  engagements, 
flattering  themselves  that  such  integrity  will  counter¬ 
balance  their  pride  and  profaneness,  and  saying,  "  The 
righteous  Lord  loveth  righteousness,  and  a  just  weight 
is  his  delight.”  Whilst  a  third,  and  if  possible  a  worse 
sort,  multiply  exercises  of  devotion  as  a  commutation 
for  their  injustice  and  insincerity,  their  malicious  or  co¬ 
vetous  temper,  confiding  in  the  promises  made  to  prayer 
and  diligent  attendance  on  the  means  of  grace. 

From  such  hateful  motives  does  that  morality  and  de¬ 
votion,  of  which  many  are  so  conceited^  often  take  its 
rise  ; — motives  springing  from  an  opinion  which  reduces 
the  sinfulness  of  sin  to  a  venial  infirmity,  which  soothes 
our  pride  by  exalting  to  an  extravagant  rate  the  value 
of  our  polluted  services,  and  which  even  encourages 
disobedience  by  supposing  an  offender  against  the  law 
of  God  able  to  make  compensation  for  his  sin.  Yet 
most  offensive  to  God  as  this  opinion  is,  nothing  but 
the  true  knowledge  of  the  law  can  effectually  subvert  it. 
The  law,  by  pronouncing  a  curse  on  every  thing  short 
of  sinless  perfection,  leaves  no  ground  for  any  compo¬ 
sition  with  sin.  By  rejecting  with  dreadful  menaces 
all  human  attempts  as  far  too  poor  to  make  satisfaction 
to  its  authority  whenever  violated,  it  leaves  no  possi¬ 
bility  of  supposing  that  obedience  in  some  instances  can 
be  of  force  to  atone  for  the  want  of  it  in  others.  It 
compels  the  le.ss  atrocious  sinner,  as  well  as  the  great 
one,  to  confess  himself  insolvent ;  and  to  own  that  no¬ 
thing  can  administer  relief  in  his  case  which  is  not 
equal  to  the  full  demands  of  the  law. 

3.  Though  you  may  possibly  be  free  from  the  gross 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LAW. 


V 


39 


but  common  error  of  fancying  that  some  sins  may  be 
overlooked,  lost  as  it  were  in  the  blaze  of  superior  good¬ 
ness,  still,  if  you  are  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  law, 
you  will  be  apt  to  entertain  an  impious  conceit  of 
the  merit  of  your  good  works.  Instead  of  maintaining 
the  absolute  necessity  of  practising  and  of  abounding 
in  them,  as  the  only  visible  vouchers  that  you  believe  in 
Jesus,  as  the  infallible  evidence  of  the  truth  of  your  re¬ 
pentance  and  conversion,  in  which  light  it  is  impossible 
too  highly  to  extol  their  use  or  enforce  their  practice : 
through  ignorance  of  the  law  you  will  suppose  your 
own  personal  righteousness  and  that  of  the  Redeemer 
to  have  the  same  sort  of  weight  with  God,  to  act  in  the 
same  capacity,  and  have  at  least  a  joint  influence  in  pro¬ 
curing  your  pardon  and  salvation.  Many,  in  fact,  who 
have  a  sense  of  religion,  do  thus  dangerously  deceive 
themselves.  They  endeavor  to  do  their  duty,  mortify¬ 
ing  their  lusts  and  leading  a  devout  life.  On  this  ac 
count,  though  they  are  confessedly  guilty  in  many 
points,  yet  their  own  goodness,  they  are  confident,  will 
considerably  contribute  to  recommend  them  to  God,  and 
the  merits  of  Christ,  they  trust,  will  make  up  what  is 
wanting.  Of  consequence,  so  long  as  they  fall  into  no 
gross  sin,  but  continue  regular,  honest,  and  attentive  to 
religious  duties,  they  are  satisfied  that  they  have  done 
their  part,  and  that  there  is  such  a  worth  in  their  sin¬ 
cere  though  imperfect  obedience  as  will  procure  them 
acceptance  with  God  and  eternal  life. 

This  refined  error  necessarily  results  from  ignorance 
of  the  law ;  and,  unsuspected  of  evil,  keeps  firm  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  mind  till  the  law  is  understood.  Yet  no  error 
can  abound  more  with  self-contradiction  or  with  affront 
to  God.  With  palpable  self-contradiction  ;  since  this  is 
supposing  that  at  the  very  time  you  confess  yourself 
under  the  guilt  of  sin  for  omissions  and  defects,  at  the 
very  time  you  need  a  pardon  as  offending  in  many 


100 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


things,  there  can  still  be  sufficient  excellency  about  you 
to  obtain  favor  with  God.  It  is  to  suppose  that  even 
whilst  conscience  accuses  you,  and  the  law  condemns 
you  as  a  sinner  for  disobedience,  you  still  possess  such 
a  fund  of  righteousness  as  will  have  a  considerable  in¬ 
fluence  in  making  reconciliation  for  you.  Strange  contra¬ 
diction  !  To  confess  yourself  guilty  and  implore  pardon, 
and  yet  at  the  same  time  to  cherish  a  hope  of  being 
favorably  regarded  on  your  own  account !  Surely  to 
implore  pardon  implies  that  you  lie  at  the  feet  of  mercy 
without  any  plea  but  the  compassion  of  God.  Whereas 
to  trust,  as  a  coadjutor  with  Christ,  in  your  own  obedi¬ 
ence,  supposes  a  high  degree  of  worth  in  yourself. 

Besides,  by  holding  this  error  your  affront  to  God 
is  as  notorious  as  the  contradiction  in  which  it  involves 
you.  You  make  the  glorious  Redeemer  undertake  our 
ransom  merely  to  render  our  deficient  duties  meritori¬ 
ous  and  our  sins  inoffensive.  You  make  his  sinless 
life,  his  precious  death,  and  mediatorial  undertakings 
serve  no  other  purpose  than  that  of  erecting  a  pedestal 
on  which  human  worth  may  stand  exalted  and  be  dis¬ 
played  in  false  colors.  According  to  this  scheme,  the 
pardon  of  rebels  against  the  Most  High,  and  the  recep¬ 
tion  of  leprous  sinners  into  the  bosom  of  heaven,  (effects 
than  which  nothing  can  be  greater,  benefits  than  which 
nothing  can  be  richer,)  are  owing  to  the  work  of  our 
own  hands,  and  the  virtues  of  our  own  character,  in  con¬ 
junction  with  Christ. 

Now  what  greater  affront  can  be  offered  to  that  di¬ 
vine  goodness  which  interposed  to  save  us  when  we 
were  lost,  than  thus  to  divide  the  honor  of  our  accept¬ 
ance  between  Christ  and  ourselves  1  What  more  daring 
opposition  to  God  the  Father,  who  has  given  Christ  for 
his  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  than  to  trust  in 
our  own  obedience,  as  having,  partly  at  least,  merit  to 
procure  it  for  ourselves  1  What  more  plain  denial  of 


IGNORANCE  OF  TI1E  LAW. 


101 


the  Scripture,  which  so  expressly  ascribes  and  so  entire¬ 
ly  appropriates  the  salvation  of  sinners,  from  first  to 
last,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  God’s  grace  in  Christ 
Jesus  1  Compare,  for  instance,  this  self-exalting  doc¬ 
trine  with  Isaiah’s  most  sublime  account  of  the  combat 
and  the  conquest  of  the  Redeemer ;  and  then  conclude 
how  injurious  it  must  be  to  his  honor  to  regard  your 
own  works  as  coadjutors  with  him.  The  prophet,  in 
surprise  at  the  appearance  of  a  most  majestic  person¬ 
age,  asks,  "  Who  is  this  that  cometh  from  Edom,  with 
dyed  garments  from  Bozrah  I”  that  is,  from  the  country 
and  from  the  capital  of  the  implacable  enemies  of  the 
people  of  God.  To  which  the  Redeemer  replies,  "I 
that  speak  in  righteousness,  mighty  to  save.”  Upon 
this  the  prophet  renews  his  inquiry,  "  Wherefore  ”  (if 
thou  art  come  not  to  destroy,  but  to  save)  "  art  thou  red 
in  thine  apparel,  and  thy  garments  like  him  that  tread- 
eth  in  the  wine-fat  I”  To  this  the  Redeemer  answers, 
"  I  have  trodden  the  -wine-press ;”  my  foes  I  have 
crushed,  I  have  trampled  them  under  my  feet ;  but  they 
were  thy  enemies,  sin,  death  and  Satan.  "I  have  trod¬ 
den  the  wine-press  ”  by  myself  "  alone  too  great  in 
my  power  to  want  an  associate,  and  too  jealous  of  my 
honor  to  accept  of  any  assistant ;  "  of  the  people  there 
was  none  with  me:”  the  salvation  of  sinners  in  all  its 
parts  is  my  act,  even  mine  only:  yours  be  all  the  bene¬ 
fit,  mine  all  the  glory.  Isaiah,  63  :  1-3. 

The  same  doctrine  is  uniformly  taught  by  all  the  in¬ 
spired  penmen.  Yet  so  pleasing  to  the  human  heart  is 
the  thought  of  assuming  something  to  ourselves  in  the 
great  work  of  our  salvation,  that  nothing  but  the  right 
knowledge  of  the  law  can  make  the  attempt  appear  in 
its  proper  degree  of  guilt.  This  indeed  will,  because  it 
fixes  with  the  greatest  precision  the  value  of  good  works 
and  the  place  of  human  obedience.  The  law  will  not 
suffer  you  to  consider  the  most  conscientious  mode  of 


102 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OE  MAN. 


obedience  in  another  light  than  as  a  testimony  that  you 
believe  with  godly  sincerity  the  delightful  truth,  that 
Jesus  purged  away  your  sins  by  the  sacrifice  of  him¬ 
self  j  for  which  unspeakable  benefit  you  love  him,  you 
keep  his  commandments,  and  you  abhor  those  iniquities 
which  made  him  suffer  and  die. 

To  think  and  live  thus  is  Christian  obedience :  of  quite 
another  color  and  complexion  from  that  which  springs 
from  every  other  motive.  This  is  to  use  the  law  law¬ 
fully  :  not  as  interfering  with  the  Redeemer,  or  shading 
his  glory  by  encouraging  the  expectations  of  life  from 
obedience  to  its  commands,  but  as  a  clear  revelation  of 
the  infinite  demerit  of  sin,  and  of  the  absolute  need  of 
Christ’s  interposition,  "  who  is  the  end  of  the  law  for 
righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth.” 

4.  Self -preference  and  a  conceit  of  personal  perfection 
in  the  saints,  together  with  all  their  train  of  mischievous 
consequences,  are  owing  to  ignorance  of  God’s  law. 

The  slightest  observer  of  mankind  may  easily  per¬ 
ceive  that  pride  is  naturally  the  ruling  passion  in  every  . 
heart,  and  that  we  covet  in  all  things  to  have  the  pre¬ 
eminence.  Hence  not  only  beauty  of  person,  possession 
of  wealth,  reputation  of  learning,  or  the  distinction  of 
noble  birth,  but  even  our  spiritual  attainments  become 
strong  temptations  to  the  indulgence  of  pride.  Thus  of 
old  we  find  a  numerous  party  amongst  the  Jews  render¬ 
ed  conspicuous  by  their  religious  zeal,  who,  elated  by 
their  fancied  superior  grace,  cried  out,  "  Stand  by  thy¬ 
self,  come  not  near  to  me,  for  I  am  holier  than  thou.” 
Isaiah,  65  :  5.  The  same  persons  who  thought  so  high¬ 
ly  of  themselves,  judged  it  impossible  for  notorious  sin¬ 
ners  to  be  pardoned,  and  treated  them  with  insufferable 
disdain.  The  like  self-preferring  spirit  governs  many  at 
this  day,  who  stand  distinguished  for  their  strictness 
and  punctuality  in  religious  offices.  Now  to  purge  out 
this  Pharisaical  leaven  is  the  peculiar  work  and  office 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LAW. 


103 


of  the  law  of  God.  It  is  not  enough  to  tell  those  who 
highly  esteem  themselves  for  their  religious  excellen¬ 
cies,  that  they  owe  them  all  to  the  free  gift  of  God : 
this,  with  the  Pharisee,  they  will  allow,  and  yet  value 
themselves  on  account  of  the  gift.  Neither  is  it  suffi¬ 
cient  to  remind  them  of  the  blemishes  which  cleave  to 
them,  sully  their  best  performances,  and  take  away  all 
pretence  to  self-esteem.  For  these  they  will  place  to 
the  score  of  human  infirmity  and  the  imperfection  of 
human  obedience,  still  proudly  dwelling,  in  their  own 
thoughts,  on  the  manifest  difference  between  themselves 
and  others.  But  you  lay  the  axe  to  the  root  of  the  tree, 
when  you  make  such  self-conceited  professors  of  reli¬ 
gion  understand,  that  after  all  they  have  done  or  re¬ 
ceived,  and  notwithstanding  the  high  thoughts  they 
have  of  themselves,  the  curse  of  the  law  is  upon  all 
them  that  continue  not  in  all  things  written  therein  to 
do  them:  that  they  are,  therefore,  not  only  imperfect, 
but  lost,  if  dealt  with  as  they  deserve:  that  notwith¬ 
standing  all  their  aspiring  pretensions  and  glittering  at¬ 
tainments,  they  can  no  more  than  the  wicked  answer 
the  demands  made  upon  them  by  the  law,  but  stand  as 
liable  as  they  to  its  condemnation,  and  equally  destitute 
of  any  plea  for  their  justification,  but  the  mercy  and 
righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Thus  no  room 
is  left  for  self-admiration ;  for  whatever  difference  there 
may  be  between  one  sinner  and  another  respecting  out¬ 
ward  obedience  or  degrees  of  sanctification,  the  law 
will  suffer  no  man  living  to  imagine  he  stands  accepted 
with  his  Creator  on  account  of  his  own  obedience.  But 
if  every  man  who  is  in  a  state  of  salvation  is  thus  com¬ 
pelled  by  the  law  to  acknowledge  the  blessing  to  be 
wholly  of  grace,  then  boasting  and  self-exaltation  are 
utterly  excluded. 

The  conceit  of  personal  perfection  in  the  saints,  is 
likewise  maintained  only  by  ignorance  of  the  law  of 


104 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 

God.  For  it  is  impossible  that  such  polluted  creatures 
as  we  are  should  ever  dream  that,  alter  our  highest  at¬ 
tainments,  there  remains  upon  us  no  charge  of  sin,  it 
we  knew  the  full  extent  of  the  law ;  which  condemns 
the  least  failure,  and  allows  not  the  very  least  imperfec¬ 
tion.  In  every  instance,  on  every  occasion,  it  charges  us 

With  act  intense,  and  unremitted  nerve, 

“  To  hold  a  course  unfaltering.” 

It  commands  us  not  only  to  serve  the  Lord,  but  to  serve 
him  with  all  our  strength  :  not  only  to  love  our  neigh¬ 
bor,  but  to  love  him  as  ourselves  ;  and  to  demonstrate 
that  we  do  this  by  every  temper,  by  every  word,  by  every 
desire,  and  by  every  thought.  When  you  have  your  eye 
fixed  upon  the  law,  so  spiritual  in  its  demands  and  en¬ 
joining  such  perfection  of  obedience,  you  will  most 
readily  acquiesce  in  that  humbling  confession  of  the  in¬ 
spired  Solomon,  ”  There  is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth 
that  liveth  and  sinneth  not.”  You  will  use,  from  a  deep 
conviction  of  your  own  sinfulness,  that  confession  so 
expressive  of  true  humility  and  of  the  perfection  of  the 
law  of  God  j  "  If  thou,  Lord,  shouldst  mark  iniquities, 
who  shall  stand  1  but  there  is  forgiveness  with  thee, 
that  thou  rriayst  be  feared.” 

To  conclude,  you  may  learn  from  what  has  been  now* 
laid  before  you,  that  if  you  desire  to  be  a  believer  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  upon  principle  and  sound  conviction, 
you  must  thoroughly  acquaint  yourself  with  the  nature 
and  design  of  the  law  of  God.  Like  a  faithful  mirror,  it 
will  discover  your  poverty  and  sinfulness ;  it  will  make 
the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  appear  as  great  and 
glorious  in  your  eyes,  as  it  is  declared  to  be  in  the 
Bible.  Then  you  will  live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God, 
pleading  his  costly  sacrifice  and  perfect  righteousness 
with  all  humility  at  the  throne  of  grace,  as  the  only 
foundation  of  your  hope  towards  God. 


IGNORANCE  OF  THE  LAW. 


105 


And  as  a  prodigal  son,  who,  through  folly  and  sin,  has 
brought  himself  into  a  state  of  disease  and  ruin,  will, 
when  duly  affected  by  a  sense  of  his  condition,  most 
thankfully  acknowledge  the  kindness  of  a  tender  parent, 
who,  notwithstanding  all  his  vileness,  receives  him  with 
forgiveness,  and  embraces  him  with  love,  so  will  you, 
deeply  impressed  by  the  sight  of  your  sinfulness  mani¬ 
fested  by  the  law,  intensely  desire  to  serve  that  God 
who  took  pity  upon  you  when  utterly  ruined,  loved  you 
when  you  possessed  not  one  single  feature  of  comeli¬ 
ness,  and  who  loves  you  still  in  the  midst  of  much  pre¬ 
vailing  unworthiness.  Thus  those  two  universal  and 
mighty  principles  of  disobedience,  self-confidence  and 
self-conceit,  will  be  expelled ;  and  a  rational  humility, 
productive  of  universal  holiness,  will  be  established. 
Daily  convinced  that  if  God  were  to  enter  into  judg¬ 
ment  with  you,  you  must  be  found  guilty  and  worthy 
of  death  ;  you  will  adore,  love  and  obey  him  who  hath 
redeemed  you  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  purchased  for 
you  a  crown  of  life,  and  called  you  to  a  throne  of  glory. 


5* 


106 


COMPLETE  DUTY  Or  MAN. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FJlITM  IJV  CM  MI  ST. 

-  .  •  1  _  •  .  ■»  .  .  < 

•«  ' 

1! 

ITS  NATURE  AND  EXTENT. 

In  almost  every  page  of  Scripture  excellent  things 
are  spoken  of  the  power  of  faith :  and  whatever  some 
may  boast  of  their  good  works  and  meritorious  virtues, 
the  good  effects  of  which  in  society  may  justly  be  ex¬ 
tolled  ;  still  so  long  as  the  authority  of  the  Bible  re¬ 
mains,  it  is  a  decided  point,  that  to  be  without  faith  in 
Christ  is  to  be  actually  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  God. 

Every  one  therefore  ought  most  carefully  to  search 
the  Scriptures,  in  order  to  inform  himself  of  the  essen¬ 
tial  properties  of  this  fundamental  grace.  Thus  he  will 
be  secured  on  the  one  hand  from  an  enthusiastic  idea 
of  its  nature,  and  on  the  other  from  a  degradation  of  it 
into  a  barren  and  worthless  notion. 

The  shortest  and  plainest  method  to  determine  its  na¬ 
ture  will  be,  I  apprehend,  to  ascertain  what  peculiar  ex¬ 
cellency  was  in  those  who  were  highly  commended  by 
the  Lord  Jesus  for  the  greatness  of  their  faith  in  him, 
and  what  was  their  fault  whom  he  rebuked  for  unbelief. 
When  these  two  points  are  once  determined,  it  is  hoped 
the  nature  of  faith  will  be  so  clearly  laid  open  as  to  pre¬ 
vent  erroneous  opinions  concerning  it,  and  to  deliver 
all  serious  readers  from  that  perplexity  which,  amidst 
the  various  disputes  about  it,  they  find  it  difficult  to 
avoid. 

The  first  instructive  example  which  I  select  in  order 
to  explain  and  determine  the  precise  nature  of  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  that  of  the  centurion ,  men- 


NATUifE  A.ND  EXTENT  OF  FAITH. 


107 


tioned  Matt.  8.  Warmed  with  an  active  benevolence, 
and  sympathizing  with  an  afflicted  member  of  his  fami¬ 
ly,  he  earnestly  applied  to  ihe  Redeemer,  begging  that 
he  would  have  pity  upon  his  servant,  whom  he  had  left 
grievously  tormented  with  the  palsy.  The  faith  which 
inspired  the  centurion’s  heart,  and  prevailed  with  him 
to  make  this  request,  was  perfectly  known  to  Jesus, 
though  not  to  the  surrounding  multitude.  They  could 
not  tell  whether  he  might  not  come  glad,  as  one  in  a 
desperate  case,  to  catch  at  any  thing  which  had  but 
the  least  appearance  of  a  remedy.  Our  Lord  therefore 
replies  to  him  in  such  a  manner  as  he  knew  would  bring 
forth  the  most  undeniable  proof  of  his  faith :  he  saith, 
"  I  will  come  and  heal  him.”  But  the  amiable  modesty 
of  this  great  believer  would  not  suffer  him  to  think  of 
the  honor  of  receiving  such  a  guest  under  his  roof.  He 
answers,  therefore,  that  it  was  wholly  unnecessary  for 
Jesus  to  trouble  himself  to  come :  "  Speak  the  word 
only,”  said  he,  "  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed  ;”  add¬ 
ing,  that  he  was  no  less  assured  of  the  power  of  Christ 
over  all  bodily  diseases,  both  to  remove  and  inflict  them 
at  his  pleasure,  than  he  was  of  his  own  authority  to 
command  his  soldiers. 

"  When  Jesus  heard  it,  he  marvelled  :”  he  was  struck 
with  admiration  at  the  infinitely  grand  and  just  idea 
which  this  Roman  officer  had  conceived  of  his  power, 
though  he  was  in  outward  appearance  the  meanest 
of  men. 

To  make  therefore  his  faith  eternally  conspicuous 
and  at  the  same  time  most  clearly  to  ascertain  the  es 
sential  nature  of  that  grace  which  was  to  be  the  instru 
ment  of  salvation  to  every  member  of  his  church,  "  Jesus 
said  unto  them  that  followed,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  1 
have  not  found  so  great  faith,  no  not  in  Israel.  And  I 
say  unto  you,  Many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the 
west,” — that  is,  possessed  and  governed  by  the  same 


108 


COMPLETE  DUTif  OF  MAN. 


precious  faith  you  now  see  exercised  towards  me, — 
"  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Ja¬ 
cob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.” 

Examine  now  what  was  the  faith  of  this  centurion.  It 
was  evidently  a  firm  persuasion  of  the  almighty  power 
and  goodness  of  Christ,  producing  a  dependence  upon 
him,  and  an  application  to  him  for  help  and  deliverance 
in  favor  of  his  afflicted  servant.  By  consequence,  true 
faith  in  Jesus  springs  from  that  knowledge  of  his  cha¬ 
racter  and  office  which  inclines  the  heart  to  depend 
upon  him  for  continual  help  in  our  spiritual  need. 

This  is  confirmed  by  another  very  remarkable  in¬ 
stance,  that  of  the  Canaanitish  woman.  Hearing  of  the 
arrival  of  Jesus  in  the  country  near  which  she  dwelt, 
she  came  unto  him,  saying,  "  Have  mercy  on  me,  O 
Lord,  thou  Son  of  David  :  my  daughter  is  grievously 
vexed  with  a  devil :  but  he  answered  her  not  a  word.” 
Nay,  he  seems  absolutely  to  refuse  her  request,  giving 
for  a  reason,  that  his  ministry  must  be  confined  to  the 
Jews.  And  when  entreated  yet  again,  he  adds  a  still 
more  mortifying  and  discouraging  reply,  that  it  was 
not  meet  for  him  to  display  his  mercy  among  the  hea¬ 
then,  who,  through  their  idolatry  and  other  pollutions, 
were  become  like  dogs,  impure  before  God ;  that  this 
was  to  be  confined  by  him  to  the  church  of  God,  his 
children  by  covenant  and  profession. 

The  woman  acknowledges  the  justness  of  what  our 
Lord  urged  :  and  she  said,  ”  Truth,  Lord;  yet  the  dogs 
eat  of  the  crumbs  which  fall  from  their  master’s  table :” 
let  me  only  have  such  kindness  as  the  dogs  which  be 
long  to  a  family  enjoy  :  amidst  that  plenty  of  miraculous 
cures  which  thou  art  bestowing  on  the  Jews,  bestow  the 
fragment  of  this  one  upon  me,  who  am  a  poor  distress¬ 
ed  heathen :  for  by  it  they  will  suffer  no  greater  loss 
than  the  children  of  a  family  do  by  the  crumbs  which 
are  cast  to  the  dogs.  Then  Jesus  answered,  "  0  woman, 


NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  FAITH. 


109 


great  is  thy  faith;  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt” 
Matt.  15  :  21. 

Here  also  every  eye  must  perceive  what  was  so  illus¬ 
trious  in  this  woman  :  it  was  her  persevering  adherence 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  help  and  deliverance.  In 
the  midst  of  the  greatest  discouragements  she  remained 
patient,  yet  importunate,  and  resolutely  depended  for 
relief  upon  the  grace  which  she  was  persuaded  dwelt 
so  richly  in  him. 

From  this  instance  then,  no  less  clearly  than  from  the 
former,  faith  in  Jesus  is  determined  precisely  to  mean 
the  reliance  of  the  heart  on  him  for  help  and  deliverance. 

The  same  truth  is  as  strongly  proved  from  the  fault 
plainly  charged  on  those  whom  Jesus  rebuked  for  their 
unbelief. 

In  the  eighth  chapter  of  St.  Luke  we  are  informed 
that  our  Lord,  fatigued  with  his  abundant  labors  of  love, 
fell  asleep  as  he  was  sailing  with  his  disciples.  In  the 
meantime  the  weather  suddenly  changed,  and  a  storm 
came  on.  The  disciples  exerted  their  utmost  skill  in 
the  management  of  the  vessel,  but  in  vain.  The  waves 
breaking  in,  filled  her  so  that  she  began  to  sink ;  and 
they,  giving  themselves  up  for  lost,  ran  to  Jesus,  shriek¬ 
ing  out,  "  Master,  Master,  we  perish.” 

Their  cries  awoke  him :  he  instantly  rebuked  the 
winds  and  the  sea,  and  there  was  a  calm.  Upon  which 
he  immediately  turns  with  this  reproof  upon  his  dis¬ 
ciples,  ”  Why  are  ye  so  fearful  1  how  is  it  that  ye  have 
no  faith  1”  Mark,  4  :  37-40. 

In  this  instance  also  you  see  that  it  was  want  of  as¬ 
surance  in  the  power  of  their  divine  Master,  even  when 
destruction  in  all  appearance  was  overwhelming  them ; 
it  was  doubting  his  ability  to  gather  the  stormy  winds 
in  his  hand,  and  to  prevent  the  raging  floods  from  over¬ 
flowing  them  ;  it  was  yielding  to  the  fear  of  death  when 
it  seemed  opening  its  jaws  to  devour  them,  which  our 


110 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Lord  rebukes  as  a  demonstration  of  their  unbelief.  And 
justly  too,  since,  after  the  many  miracles  they  had  seen 
him  perform,  they  had  abundant  cause  to  rely  on  his 
power  and  goodness,  even  in  a  greater  danger  than  this ; 
for  though  their  vessel  had  sunk,  he  who  gave  sight  to 
the  blind  could  have  saved  them  all  by  making  them 
walk  firmly  on  the  water,  as  he  afterwards  enabled  one 
of  their  number  to  do. 

To  avoid  being  tedious,  only  one  instance  more  shall 
be  produced. 

In  the  ninth  of  St.  Mark  we  have  a  remarkable  rela¬ 
tion  of  a  father  greatly  distressed  on  account  of  the  dis¬ 
order  of  his  son,  bringing  him  to  the  disciples.  Find¬ 
ing  them  unable  to  heal  him,  and  dispirited  at  the  sight 
of  his  son’s  misery,  together  with  the  remembrance  of 
its  long  continuance,  he  was  afraid  this  possession  might 
surpass  even  the  power  of  Jesus  himself.  Expressing 
therefore  his  doubts  and  fears,  he  saith  unto  him,  "  If 
thou  canst  do  any  thing,  have  compassion  on  us,  and 
help  us.  Jesus  said  unto  him,  If  thou  canst  believe,  all 
things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth  $”  that  is,  to 
him  who  is  immoveably  persuaded  of  my  all-sufficient 
power.  "  And  straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried 
out  and  said  with  tears,  Lord,  I  believe;  help  thou  mine 
unbelief:”  in  other  words,  I  do  now  sincerely  trust  in 
thee  as  able  to  help  me  :  I  am  touched  with  grief  and 
shame  to  think  there  should  be  so  much  unbelief  in  my 
heart.  O  forgive  and  remove  it,  that  I  and  my  son  may 
be  thoroughly  cured ;  I  of  my  spiritual,  and  he  of  his 
corporeal  disease. 

Instances  without  number  might  be  brought ;  but  these 
alleged  are  fully  sufficient  to  determine  what  is  the 
precise  meaning  of  that  divine  grace — Faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ :  they  prove  that  it  means  the  reliance  of 
the  soul  on  Jesus  Christ  for  help  and  deliverance. 

If  it  should  be  said  that  the  centurion  and  the  Canaanit- 


NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  FAITH. 


Ill 


ish  woman  showed  their  faith,  the  disciples  and  the  dis¬ 
tressed  father  their  unbelief,  with  respect  only  to  tem¬ 
poral  evils ;  and  that,  therefore,  these  are  not  proper 
examples  to  determine  the  nature  of  that  faith  to  which 
the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  promised  ,•  the  answer  is  ob¬ 
vious — that  the  difference  in  the  nature  of  the  benefits 
which  are  the  objects  of  desire,  by  no  means  infers  a 
difference  in  the  principle  of  faith.  It  was  by  one  and 
the  same  kind  of  faith,  we  are  assured,  that  Noah  built 
the  ark,  that  Abraham  offered  his  son,  that  Moses  es¬ 
teemed  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  all 
the  treasures  of  Egypt.  These  acts,  though  different 
from  each  other  in  their  respective  ends,  proceeded 
from  one  and  the  self-same  principle.  In  like  manner, 
whether  trust  in  the  power  and  all-sufficiency  of  Jesus 
be  exercised  in  seeking  deliverance  from  temporal  or 
spiritual  evils,  from  wants,  more  in  number  or  less  ;  it 
is  still  the  same  divine  grace  relying  upon  the  same  glo¬ 
rious  power. 

Indeed,  the  extent  of  the  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  does  and  must  reach  as  far  as  our  necessities ; 
therefore  a  particular  knowledge  of  our  wants,  and  of 
the  exercise  of  faith  with  respect  to  the  supply  of 
them,  will  afford  the  most  ample  view  of  the  extent  of 
this  grace. 

First,  then,  as  soon  as  we  compare  our  lives  with  the 
rule  of  our  duty,  the  law  of  God,  accusations  of  guilt 
cannot  but  pour  on  us  from  every  side.  Each  of  the 
commandments,  spiritually  understood,  according  to 
the  explanation  given  in  the  sermon  on  the  mount,  has 
sins  of  commission  or  omission  to  lay  to  our  charge. 
God  and  our  own  consciences  tell  us  that  our  offences 
have  been  not  merely  errors  of  ignorance,  hut  sins 
against  light  and  knowledge ;  the  effects  of  a  proud,  re¬ 
bellious  spirit  against  the  most  high  God. 

Now,  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is,  under 


11*2 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  heartfelt  conviction  of  such  guilt,  and  in  abhorrence 
of  it,  to  depend  on  his  blood  as  the  propitiation  which 
God  himself  hath  set  forth  for  our  sin.  It  is  to  make  use 
of  this  plea  alone,  that  the  hand  of  provoked  Justice 
may  not  seize,  nor  the  arm  of  Omnipotence  destroy  our 
soul,  "Jesus  was  wounded  for  those  very  transgressions 
whereof  my  conscience  is  afraid,  and  bruised  for  those 
very  iniquities  I  am  now  bewailing  with  a  godly  sor¬ 
row.”  In  despair  of  ever  receiving  pardon,  through  the 
merit  of  any  thing  we  can  do  to  help  ourselves,  or 
through  the  uncovenanted  mercy  of  God,  it  is  to  place 
our  whole  confidence  in  Jesus,  "  as  made  a  sin  offering 
for  us,  though  he  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  him.”  It  is  under  a  con¬ 
sciousness  of  daily  sin,  and  of  the  infinite  holiness  of 
God,  to  esteem  Christ  as  our  passover;  to  be  persuad¬ 
ed  that  the  merit  and  virtue  of  his  blood  is  our  wdiole 
safeguard  from  deserved  wrath :  just  as  the  Israelites 
of  old  looked  on  the  blood  sprinkled  on  their  doors  as 
their  whole  safeguard  from  the  destroying  angel. 

Further — Another  great  evil  to  which  all  men  feel 
themselves  subject  so  soon  as  they  come  to  any  know¬ 
ledge  of  their  condition  with  respect  to  God,  is  that  of 
a  depraved  understanding.  They  perceive  that  their  ap¬ 
prehensions  of  the  ever-blessed  God  and  his  law,  of  sin 
and  their  own  demerit,  are  deplorably  wrong :  they 
confess  themselves  children  of  darkness,  in  need  of  di¬ 
vine  illumination  to  conquer  their  stubborn  ignorance, 
and  to  remove  their  numberless  prejudices  against  the 
truth  of  God  ;  to  take  from  them  those  mists  which 
arise  from  inordinate  affection,  and  that  blindness  to 
spiritual  objects  which  prevents  their  effectual  impres¬ 
sion  upon  the  mind. 

Now  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is,  in  the 
midst  of  these  circumstances,  to  make  application  to 
him  as  one  able  to  enlighten  the  understanding,  and  to 


NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  FAITH. 


113 


secure  it  from  all  the  delusions  of  false  reasonings  and 
imaginary  schemes  of  serving  God.  It  is  to  make  re¬ 
quest  to  him  for  instruction,  who,  through  the  tender 
mercy  of  God,  came  to  visit  a  world  "  sitting  in  dark¬ 
ness  and  the  shadow  of  death,”  to  the  intent  "that  all 
who  believe  in  him  should  not  walk  in  darkness,  but 
have  the  light  of  life  abiding  in  them  ”  It  is,  with  the 
meekness  of  a  child,  simply  to  believe  what  we  are  told 
by  him,  without  murmuring  or  disputing.  It  is  as  abso¬ 
lutely  to  depend  day  by  day  on  the  teaching  of  Christ, 
through  his  word  and  Spirit,  for  the  knowledge  of  all 
things  needful  to  salvation,  as  a  submissive  pupil  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  instructions  of  a  master  whose  abilities 
and  learning  are  universally  celebrated. 

Again — When  you  desire  and  earnestly  endeavor  to 
live  in  obedience  to  the  spiritual  commandments  of 
God,  without  which  a  course  of  sobriety  and  external 
religion  is  vain ;  you  will  immediately  feel  your  own 
weakness ,  just  as  Sampson  did  the  loss  of  his  strength 
when  he  was  rising,  after  his  locks  were  shorn,  to  com¬ 
bat  the  Philistines  ;  you  will  find  your  nature  violently 
inclined  to  evil,  and  the  desires  of  your  heart  to  be  fixed 
upon  vanity  and  sin ;  you  will  see  yourself  surrounded 
with  a  thousand  temptations  to  draw  you  from  God,  and 
to  discourage  you  from  living  in  conscientious  obedi¬ 
ence  to  him. 

In  these  circumstances  you  will  soon  feel  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  divine  aid  to  bring  back  those  affections  to  God 
which  have  been  always  alienated  from  him  ;  or  to  re¬ 
duce  a  will  that  has  long  been  lawless,  into  subjection  to 
the  control  of  God  in  all  things.  You  will  have  little 
disposition,  after  having  walked  in  the  path  of  seif-will 
as  the  only  path  of  happiness,  to  forsake  it,  and  to 
tread  the  rough  and  thorny  one  of  Christian  self-denial. 
Yet  such  an  inward  change  true  holiness  requires; 
every  thing  short  of  it  is  superficial,  leaving  the  soul 


114 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


r  ,  *  • 

unprepared  for  the  temper  and  happiness  of  heaven 

In  these  circumstances,  to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  is 
to  depend  upon  him,  as  given  by  God  to  purify  men  for 
himself,  and  to  purge  them,  as  a  refiner’s  fire  does  the 
silver  from  its  dross.  It  is  to  be  looking  to  him  with 
confidence  for  the  gradual  performance  of  a  work  in 
your  soul,  no  less  necessary  for  your  salvation  than  that 
already  completed  for  you  on  the  cross.  It  is,  daily  to 
make  application  to  him,  as  one  on  whom  God  hath  laid 
all  your  help,  and  whom  he  hath  given  to  save  his  peo¬ 
ple  from  their  sins.  It  is  to  bring  before  him  those 
vile  affections  which  are  natural  to  your  heart ;  assured, 
that  though  your  own  resolutions  and  efforts  have  been 
frustrated  from  time  to  time,  and  have  wrought  in  you 
no  cure ;  yet  the  power  of  the  Lord  will  work  mightily 
with  you,  and  at  length  give  you  strength  and  victory. 

Thus  far  the  extent  of  true  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  has  been  considered,  as  reaching  to  a  dependence 
on  his  grace  and  power  for  present  deliverance  from 
that  darkness,  guilt  and  reigning  sin,  in  which  the 
whole  posterity  of  Adam  is  involved. 

But  as  our  continuance  on  earth  is  exceedingly  short ; 
as  this  life  must  soon  be  lost  in  one  which  knows  no 
end,  where  either  the  dismal  effects  of  unpardoned  sin 
must  be  eternally  endured,  or  the  exquisite  joy  of 
God’s  love  delight  the  heart ;  so  the  extent  of  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  must  be  enlarged  in  respect  to 
that  eternity  which  is  so  near  and  important.  To  be¬ 
lieve  in  Christ,  therefore,  comprehends  a  firm  depend¬ 
ence  that  you  shall  abundantly  experience  both  his 
power  and  love,  when  every  human  help  and  comfort 
fail,  and  present  objects  are  no  more. 

Faith  rests  assured  on  his  word,  that  the  soul  shall 
not  wander  desolate  and  forsaken  in  the  unknown  world, 
nor  the  dead  body  remain  a  prisoner  for  ever  in  the 
loathsomo  grave  )  but  that  the  one  shall  be  raised  by 


NATURE  AND  EXTENT  OF  FAITH. 


115 


him,  and  fashioned  according  to  his  own  glorious  body  ; 
and  the  other  be  admitted  into  that  blessed  kingdom 
where  he  employs  his  infinite  wisdom  and  almighty 
power  for  the  happiness  of  his  people.  In  habitual  ex¬ 
pectation  of  mortality,  it  commends  the  spirit  into  his 
hands,  knowing  he  is  able  to  keep  what  is  committed  to 
him  unto  that  day ;  persuaded  that  he  is  the  life  and  the 
forerunner  of  his  people,  gone  before  to  prepare  a  place 
for  them,  from  whence  he  will  come  and  receive  them 
unto  himself,  that  where  he  is,  there  they  may  be  also. 

This  definition  of  faith  in  Christ,  that  it  is  an  abiding 
heartfelt  trust  upon  him  for  help  and  deliverance ;  a 
trust  that  he  will  save  you  from  ignorance  by  revealing 
his  light,  and  from  guilt  by  imparting  the  merit  of  his 
blood  and  righteousness  j  that  out  of  weakness  he  will 
make  you  strong  by  his  power,  and  enrich  you  through 
all  eternity  with  his  love :  this  definition,  I  say,  has  the 
advantage,  that  it  is  plain  and  intelligible  to  every  capa¬ 
city.  Men  of  learning  frequently  condemn  the  laying 
great  stress  on  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  alone, 
as  perplexing,  and  liable  to  be  misunderstood  by  com¬ 
mon  understandings.  After  all  that  we  can  say  about 
it,  they  tell  us  the  common  people  will  be  still  at  a  loss 
to  conceive  what  faith  in  Christ  means.  Could  this  ob¬ 
jection  be  made  good,  it  would  overturn  the  whole  cre¬ 
dit  of  the  Gospel,  for  that  perpetually  inculcates  faith 
as  the  root  of  all  the  fruits  of  righteousness.  And  in¬ 
deed  it  is  certain,  that  whatever  is  of  great  moment  to 
salvation  must  be  plain  and  easy  to  the  comprehension 
of  all  who  will  be  at  the  pains  of  seeking  for  the  know 
ledge  of  it.  But,  in  fact,  there  is  no  place  for  this  ob¬ 
jection,  when  faith  is  represented  to  be  a  dependence 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  "  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification  and  redemption.”  Are  not  the  poorest 
among  the  people  to  the  full  as  well  acquainted  as  the 
rich  and  learned,  with  the  nature  of  promises  and  the 


116 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


confidence  due  to  them,  when  made  by  persons  of 
power  and  integrity  1  Is  any  one,  of  a  common  capaci¬ 
ty,  at  a  loss  to  conceive  that  the  ignorant  who  would 
learn  must  depend  upon  their  teacher  1  Or  that  those 
whose  debts  are  increased  above  what  they  are  able  to 
pay,  must  be  cast  into  prison,  or  stand  beholden  to  some 
surety,  or  some  act  of  grace,  or  both  1  What  difficulty 
can  there  be  in  understanding  that  those  whose  ene¬ 
mies  are  mighty  and  tyrannical,  and  not  to  be  resisted 
by  their  own  strength,  must  look  for  defence  and  re¬ 
fuge  to  one  mightier  than  they  1  Now  only  transfer 
these  most  plain  and  familiar  ideas  to  the  divine  Re¬ 
deemer,  and  you  have  at  once  a  full  and  distinct  notion 
of  what  it  is  to  believe  in  his  name :  it  is  what  the  low¬ 
est  are  not  only  capable  of  understanding,  but  what 
they  can  all  feel.  For  when  we  explain  the  nature  of 
faith,  we  make  our  appeal  to  those  very  feelings  which 
are  the  most  forcible  of  any  implanted  in  the  human 
breast — to  the  fear  of  danger,  to  the  hope  of  deliver¬ 
ance,  to  confidence  of  help,  to  gratitude  for  benefits 
unspeakably  great. 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


117 


CHAPTER  XI. 

•  *  *  ' 

4  -  x  •  ^ 

FJllTSi  IJ%m  CMJtlS IT,— continued, 

THE  ADVANTAGES  OF  A  JUST  CONCEPTION  OF  ITS  NATURE 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  endeavored  to  give  a  dis¬ 
tinct  and  clear  idea  of  the  nature  of  faith  as  it  is  deter¬ 
mined  by  examples  from  Scripture,  in  which  the  want 
of  it  was  censured,  or  its  excellence  commended.  We 
stated  it  to  he  a  steadfast  and  active  trust  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  for  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification 
and  redemption. — Now  as  many  and  great  advantages 
flow  from  a  just  conception  of  the  nature  of  so  import¬ 
ant  a  grace  as  faith,  while  on  the  other  hand  the  most 
serious  evils  may  arise  from  an  imperfect  or  false  idea 
of  it  j  I  propose  in  this  chapter  to  point  out  the  advan¬ 
tages  which  evidently  result  from  receiving  the  defini¬ 
tion  of  it  already  given. 

1.  It  evidently  excludes  those  abuses  which  a  false  idea 
of  the  nature  of  faith  has  in  many  cases  produced. 

That  many  and  grievous  abuses  of  faith  should 
abound,  is  not  strange ;  since  the  incomparable  bless¬ 
ings  promised  to  it  work  like  so  many  bribes  upon  our 
natural  self-lotfe,  to  make  us  deal  dishonestly,  and  in 
the  absence  of  the  reality  to  embrace  a  counterfeit. 

Thus,  for  instance,  it  is  most  common  for  speculative 
faith  to  pass  for  genuine  faith.  When  a  learned  rea- 
soner  has  compared  the  glorious  prophecies  concerning 
Jesus  with  their  events,  and  seen  the  amazingly  exact 
accomplishment ;  when  he  has  canvassed  his  doctrine 
and  miracles  till  his  understanding  is  furnished  with  ar¬ 
guments  enough  to  silence  all  who  doubt  or  disbelieve 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel ;  he  is  apt  to  become  confident 


118 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


that  he  is  a  true  believer,  and  that  his  faith  as  a  Chris¬ 
tian  is  perfept  and  entire,  lacking  nothing ;  he  is  confi¬ 
dent  of  this  very  thing,  whilst  his  ruling  dispositions 
utterly  disgrace  his  faith,  and  give  the  witnesses  of 
his  example  abundant  cause  to  think  most  contemp¬ 
tuously  of  it. 

To  convince  a  man  of  this  character,  that  he  most 
shamefully  imposes  upon  himself,  in  calling  his  know¬ 
ledge  by  the  name  of  faith,  will,  I  grant,  be  very  diffi¬ 
cult.  But  if  any  means  can  do  it,  it  must  be  the  proof 
that  his  acquaintance  with  the  doctrines  of  Jesus,  his 
ready  assent  to  their  truth,  his  alacrity  in  their  defence, 
still  leave  him  only  upon  a  level  with  those  who  openly 
reject  the  Gospel ;  that  is,  they  leave  him  equally  a 
stranger  to  any  active  dependence  on  Jesus  Christ  for 
help  and  deliverance :  so  that  he,  no  more  than  an  ab¬ 
solute  infidel,  looks  up  day  by  day  as  a  poor,  ignorant, 
sinful,  helpless  creature,  for  the  relief  of  his  necessities 
to  the  all-sufficient  Savior.  Consequently  this  specula¬ 
tive  self-satisfied  believer  may  perceive  that  such  a 
faith  in  the  Son  of  God  as  the  Scripture  requires,  and 
which  alone  will  be  of  benefit  to  his  soul,  is  a  principle 
entirely  of  another  kind  from  that  assent  he  has  given 
to  the  truths  of  the  Gospel. 

In  the  very  same  way  of  trial,  another  detestable 
abuse  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  to  which  the  love  of  sin 
inclines  us,  will  be  fully  discovered.  No  sooner  was 
the  Gospel  way  of  salvation  preached  to  the  gentile 
world,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  glorified,  than  Satan,  jea¬ 
lous  of  his  own  empire,  prevailed  over  a  large  body  of 
professing  Christians  to  boast  that  they  had  faith  in 
Christ,  and  were  complete  in  him,  whilst  they  were  living 
in  sin ,  in  hatred  of  all  renovation  of  mind,  in  contempt 
of  personal  obedience  and  in  neglect  of  the  means  of 
grace.  They  confidently  said  that  they  knew  him ;  they 
gloried  in  the  imagination  that  Christ’s  righteousness 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


219 


was  their  holiness ;  whilst  they  refused  to  follow  his 
example,  and  trampled  upon  his  commandments.  In 
every  revival  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel  the  same 
error  has  revived  also  $  and  what  is  said  of  envy  with 
respect  to  merit, 

“Envy,  the  shadow,  proves  the  substance  true,” 

,  .  ■> 

holds  good  in  this  case.  Wherever  the  true  Gospel  is 
enforced,  this  dreadful  abuse  of  it  will  more  or  less 
make  its  appearance. # 

But  this  delusion, — which  has  justly  obtained  the 
name  of  Antinomian  faith,  from  its  enmity  to  the  con¬ 
trol  of  God’s  most  holy  law, — can  find  no  reception 
where  faith  is  understood  to  be  a  constant  lively  de¬ 
pendence  on  the  Redeemer  for  present  help  and  deliver¬ 
ance  ;  because  nothing  can  be  more  opposite  to  this  de¬ 
pendence  than  the  blasphemous  opinion  that  you  are 
not  to  receive  from  him  the  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Nothing  can  be  more  contrary  to  the  exercise  of  faith 
in  him,  than  the  corrupt  imagination  that  you  need  not 
rely  upon  his  power  to  conquer  your  corruptions,  and 
to  bless  you  by  turning  you  from  your  iniquities.  No¬ 
thing  can  more  effectually  destroy  all  communication 
betwixt  the  Redeemer  and  our  souls,  than  so  to  inter¬ 
pret  the  efficacy  of  his  divine  obedience  and  most  pre- 

*  The  apostles  Paul,  Peter,  James  and  John  saw  with  their  own 
eyes  this  abominable  perversion  of  the  truth,  and  take  much  pains 
in  all  their  epistles  to  guard  against  its  poison.  In  Germany  and  in 
England,  as  soon  as  ever  the  glorious  reformation  took  place,  this 
strong  delusion  of  Antinomian  faith  began  to  prevail.  It  is  there¬ 
fore  so  far  from  being  any  just  objection  against  the  preaching  of 
faith,  to  urge  that  it  is  abused  to  licentiousness,  that  it  proves,  on  the 
contrary,  that  the  doctrines  of  salvation  are  apostolically  set  forth : 
and  therefore  Satan  has  recourse  to  his  ancient  device  of  support¬ 
ing  his  own  kingdom  by  endeavoring  to  bring  this  doctrine  into 
reproach. 


120 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


cious  blood,  as  if  no  purification  of  the  soul  were  want¬ 
ed.  This  licentious  notion,  in  its  very  nature,  absolute¬ 
ly  excludes  any  present  application  to  the  .Redeemer, 
and  consequently  any  present  dependence  upon  him  for 
wisdom,  righteousness  and  sanctification.  Therefore, 
however  vehemently  it  may  be  maintained  by  many  to 
be  the  purest  faith,  it  certainly  has  not  one  single  pro¬ 
perty  of  scriptural  faith  in  Christ. 

Again — By  adhering  to  this  definition  of  faith,  de¬ 
duced  from  Scripture  examples,  that  it  is  the  lively  and 
active  trust  of  the  soul  on  Jesus  Christ  to  receive  from 
him  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemp¬ 
tion,  you  will  be  secure  from  confounding  with  true 
Faith  opinions  imbibed  only  from  education.  Most  men, 
engrossed  by  earthly  pursuits,  and  feeling  nothing  of 
the  importance  of  the  objects  of  faith,  take  for  granted 
the  truth  of  the  prevailing  religion,  be  it  what  it  may, 
and  regularly  conform  to  its  institutions.  After  having 
done  so  for  a  course  of  years,  they  still  more  rashly 
also  take  it  for  granted  that  nothing  less  than  true 
faith  could  have  kept  them  so  long  constant  and  regu¬ 
lar  in  public  worship  without  ever  doubting  the  truth ; 
whilst  in  fact  gross  carelessness,  love  of  money,  or  im¬ 
moderate  application  to  business,  have  prevented  their 
thinking  upon  religion  as  a  subject  worth  their  attention. 

Now,  if  you  interrogate  such  deluded  but  confident 
formalists,  whether  they  were  ever  painfully  convinced 
)f  their  own  natural  ignorance  and  blindness,  or  of  the 
depravity  of  their  hearts'?  whether  they  ever  with  grief 
of  soul  confessed  the  provocation  of  their  sins  and  the 
power  of  inbred  lusts,  and  in  the  affecting  view  of  both 
have  made  application  to  Jesus  for  relief,  and  remain  in 
dependence  on  him  for  the  same  1  these  searching  ques¬ 
tions  will  at  once  discover  the  refuge  of  lies  ;  and  prove 
that  what  they  imagine  to  be  faith  in  Jesus,  is  nothing 
better  than  vain  and  contemptible  credulity. 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


121 


Nay,  farther,  if  you  ask  these  formalists,  who  assume 
<he  name  of  believers  in  Christ,  upon  what  do  you  ground 
your  hope  of  salvation  1  Their  answer  is,  that  they  have 
used  their  best  endeavors  to  lead  a  good  life :  that  God 
is  merciful,  and  knows  their  frailty.  A  foundation  of 
hope  this,  very  different  from  what  the  prophets  and 
apostles  have  laid ; — for  they,  instead  of  teaching  men 
to  expect  forgiveness  merely  because  God  is  merciful, 
and  because  we  endeavor  to  lead  a  good  life,  proclaim 
the  death  and  sacrifice  of  the  only  Son  of  God  to 
be  the  sole  means  of  reconciliation.  So  far  from  flat 
tering  us  that  our  unassisted  endeavors  will  succeed 
in  the  great  work  of  living  a  Christian  life,  they  com¬ 
mand  us  to  be  continually  seeking  the  Lord  and  his 
strength  for  this  very  purpose.  Judge,  therefore,  how 
entirely  the  faith  of  the  formalist  differs  from  true 
faith,  since  it  leaves  a  man  in  gross  darkness  concern¬ 
ing  the  way  in  which  sin  is  to  be  pardoned  and  power 
over  it  obtained. 

There  is  still  another  mistake  concerning  the  nature 
of  faith,  which  this  plain  and  easy  definition  effectually 
discovers.  Many  men  of  the  best  intentions,  and  ani¬ 
mated  with  earnest  desires  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  good  of  souls,  have  represented  faith  in  Christ  to  be 
a  particular  revelation,  separately  and  supernaturally 
imparted  to  every  individual  believer  the  moment  he 
truly  believes;  whereby  his  soul  is  enlightened  and  the 
forgiveness  of  his  sins  made  self-evident  by  the  force 
of  inward  feeling  alone. 

Now  that  the  blessed  God  can  impress  on  the  mind 
so  strong  a  sense  of  pardon  as  to  leave  a  repenting  sin¬ 
ner,  beyond  all  doubt,  satisfied  of  its  coming  from  him, 
none  can  question.  And  that  in  many  instances  God  is 
most  graciously  pleased  in  this  manner  to  manifest  him¬ 
self  and  his  love,  none  can  dispute  who  have  been  hap¬ 
pily  acquainted  either  with  the  lives  or  deaths  of  the 

Duty  of  Man.  b 


122 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


excellent  of  the  earth.  By  this  manifestation  have  mar 
tyrs  been  enabled  to  sing  in  the  midst  of  the  flames  ; 
and  not  only  to  endure  all  that  is  most  dismaying  to 
nature,  but  to  triumph  over  it.  By  this  manifestation 
of  divine  love,  thousands  are  emboldened  to  continue 
faithful  to  God  arid  their  duty,  amidst  the  scoffs  and  in¬ 
sults  of  the  careless  and  profane. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  one  thing  to  feel  joy  and  exulta¬ 
tion,  another  to  be  conscious  that  you  are  depending 
upon  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord  for  the  supply  of  all  your 
wants :  one  thing  to  build  your  evidence  of  pardon  on  a 
transporting  sensation,  quite  another  to  infer  it  from 
your  dependence  on  him  who  is  exalted  to  be  a  Prince 
and  a  Savior,  to  give  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
to  all  that  believe  in  his  name.  And  to  suppose  the 
reality  of  faith  in  him  can  be  evidenced  no  other  way 
than  by  feeling  an  inward  testimony  of  the  pardoning 
love  of  God,  is  just  as  gross  a  mistake  as  it  would  be  to 
suppose  that  credit  is  to  be  given  to  the  written  promise 
of  an  affectionate  friend  no  longer  than  he  himself  en¬ 
forces  it  by  repeated  declarations  of  his  particular  love. 
To  act  thus  in  every  other  case  would  argue  violent 
suspicion  of  the  veracity  of  him  who  gives  the  promise  ; 
how  then  can  it  with  reason  be  made  the  only  test  of 
faith  in  Christ,  that  you  should  have  irresistible  evi¬ 
dence  of  his  love  in  your  own  heart  superadded  to  the 
declarations  of  his  Gospel. 

It  is  needful,  in  treating  on  the  subject  of  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  to  guard  against  this  mistake  of  its  nature  j  be¬ 
cause,  wherever  the  power  of  religion  prevails,  many 
are  apt  to  place  their  dependence  on  the  knowledge  of 
the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  by  an  inward  feeling. 
They  make  it  their  whole  business  to  seek  for  the  evi¬ 
dence  of  their  pardon  from  doubtful  sensations  rather 
than  from  the  written  word.  They  speak  as  if  nothing 
were  worth  acknowledging  as  a  blessing  from  God, 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


123 


whilst  the)?-  possess  not  such  an  evidence  of  pardon  in 
their  own  hearts.  Others  also,  with  grief  it  must  be 
acknowledged,  have  so  imposed  upon  themselves  as  to 
mistake  a  transient  emotion  of  joy  for  real  faith,  while 
they  are  strangers  to  any  true  humiliation  for  sin,  or 
abhorrence  of  it  in  the  heart.  In  the  meantime,  a  third 
class,  through  the  same  mistake,  have  been  overwhelmed 
with  terrors,  and  led  to  pass  sentence  on  themselves  as 
destitute  of  faith,  and  without  Christ  in  the  world,  at 
the  very  time  when  they  wrere  seeking  his  help  and 
grace  as  all  their  salvation  ;  and  consequently  were  true 
and  sincere  believers. 

Another  great  advantage  arising  from  the  definition 
of  saving  faith,  here  given,  as  implying  a  lively  depend¬ 
ence  on  Christ  for  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctifica¬ 
tion  and  redemption,  is,  that  it  establishes  the  true  be¬ 
liever  in  solid  peace  and  comfort ;  and  this  is  a  strong 
evidence  that  it  is  scripturally  defined.  For  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  like  a  remedy  adapted  with  astonishing  exactness 
to  our  frame  and  condition,  is  intended  to  counterba¬ 
lance  all  the  allurements  of  temptation.  It  bestows, 
even  in  this  world,  more  than  an  equivalent  for  what 
any  man  can  suffer  or  lore  through  obedience  to  God, 
as  well  as  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come.  It  assures 
every  faithful  disciple  that  reconciliation  is  made  for 
his  iniquity ;  that  he  is  an  object  of  God’s  daily  care, 
and  an  heir  of  his  infinitely  glorious  kingdom.  But  the 
assurance  which  any  particular  person  possesses  that 
these  blessings  must  appertain  to  him,  must  depend 
upon  his  certainty  that  he  has  true  faith.  If  this  point 
be  brought  into  doubt,  his  peace  departs,  his  comfort 
dies  away:  for  all  the  promises  of  God’s  acceptance 
and  special  love  belong  to  them,  and  to  them  only  who 
are  united  to  Christ  Jesus. by  a  living  faith.  It  is  not 
doubted  by  any  one,  whether  a  true  believer  is  accepted 
of  God  ;  but  the  doubt  so  cruelly  perplexing  to  serious 


124. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


minds,  and  so  chilling  to  their  hopes,  is  whether  they 
are  believers  or  no. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  secure  to  every  believer  that 
peace  and  comfort  which  he  has  a  title  from  the  word 
of  God  to  enjoy,  the  evidence  which  proves  the  reality 
and  truth  of  his  faith  must  be  both  clear  and  perma¬ 
nent.  Of  this  perfect  kind  is  the  evidence  which  ac¬ 
companies  a  lively  dependence  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  to  supply  all  our  spiritual  wants  and  necessities. 
This  dependence  is  so  easy  to  be  known,  that  no  one 
can  possess  it  without  being  conscious  of  it.  For  it 
necessarily  implies  an  intimate  and  most  interesting 
connection  between  Christ  and  the  soul,  a  knowledge 
of  him  affecting  the  heart,  and  an  application  to  him 
daily  and  persevering.  A  man,  therefore,  who  is  living 
in  such  dependence  upon  the  Son  of  God,  might  as  rea¬ 
sonably  call  in  question  the  reality  of  transactions  pass¬ 
ing  between  himself  and  his  friends  on  earth,  as  of  his 
faith  in  Jesus.  This  evidence  is  also  permanent.  The 
sensible  comforts  of  a  Christian,  it  is  true,  are  in  their 
nature  fluctuating,  but  his  dependence  does  not  vary  as 
his  consolations  do.  He  does  not  return  to  the  love  and 
practice  of  sin,  after  fleeing  in  deep  humility  to  Jesus 
as  a  Redeemer  from  its  curse  and  power  )  nor  revolt  to 
a  self-righteous  trust  on  his  duties  and  merits,  after  hav¬ 
ing  made  a  cordial  submission  to  Christ  as  the  Lord  his 
righteousness.  Hence,  he  that  is  oppressed  with  gloom 
and  tormented  with  fear,  lest  he  should  have  no  part  in 
Christ,  merely  because  he  feels  no  transporting  hope  in 
his  heart,  may  be  able,  when  his  judgment  is  better  in¬ 
structed  in  the  nature  of  faith,  to  prove  himself  a  believ¬ 
er,  by  proving  his  whole  dependence  to  be  upon  Christ. 
And  in  consequence  of  this  proof,  the  joy,  whose  ab¬ 
sence  he  was  mourning,  will  spring  up  and  flourish, 
and,  like  a  fragrant  flower  in  its  proper  soil,  yield  a  re¬ 
viving  influence  to  his  heart.  He  will  be  able  thus  to 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


125 


express  the  highest  and  the  purest  satisfaction,  saying, 
"  In  the  Lord’s  word  will  I  rejoice,  in  the  Lord’s  word 
will  I  comfort  me.” 

Besides,  dependence  upon  Jesus  for  present  help  and 
deliverance  will  prove,  from  its  success,  an  abiding 
source  of  comfort  and  assurance  to  the  mind.  Every 
sinner  exercises  trust  in  the  Redeemer  from  a  sense  of 
misery  and  necessity.  He  would  not  cast  himself  a  poor 
supplicant  at  his  feet,  could  he  be  safe  without  his  pro¬ 
tection,  or  satisfied  without  his  peace.  But,  upon  appli¬ 
cation,  the  promise  of  God  engages  that  the  things 
asked  for  shall  be  received.  Accordingly,  do  you  depend 
upon  Jesus  as  your  prophet  1  Behold  wisdom  from 
above  will  begin  to  enlighten  your  mind,  and  an  under¬ 
standing  in  the  way  of  life  will  soon  be  in  some  measure 
conferred  upon  you.  Soon  the  world,  sin,  and  your  own 
heart  are  discovered  to  you  in  a  light  in  which  you 
never  saw  them  before.  Already  God  in  his  perfections, 
his  works  and  Gospel,  is  apprehended  by  you  in  a  dif¬ 
ferent  manner  from  what  he  was  wont  to  be.  The  gross 
ignorance  that  was  in  you,  is  now  no  more  ;  hence  you 
have  the  witness  in  yourself  that  your  dependence  on 
Christ  is  no  fruitless  misplaced  dependence.  In  like 
manner  when  you  were  first  awakened  to  a  sense 
of  your  sin,  your  conscience  was  full  of  fears  and 
alarms,  and  you  had  no  comfortable  communion  with 
God ;  but,  through  a  dependence  upon  the  efficacy  and 
merit  of  his  blood,  you  are  now  set  free  from  con 
demnation,  and  have  access  to  God  with  boldness. 
In  the  same  way  the  strength  and  power  you  receive 
to  deny  yourself  for  Jesus’  sake,  and  the  change  of 
a  headstrong  lawless  will,  into  meek  subjection,  which 
is  another  effect  of  dependence  on  Jesus  Christ  proves 
with  the  force  of  demonstration,  that  your  faith  is 
neither  formal  nor  delusive  ;  and,  by  consequence,  that 
you  have  an  interest  in  all  that  belongs  to  the  faithful 


126 


COMPLETE  BUT  if  OP  MAN 


Lastly,  it  must  be  added,  that  an  active  trust  and  de¬ 
pendence  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  help  and  deliver¬ 
ance,  such  as  our  definition  of  faith  supposes,  ascribes 
to  him  such  importance  and  glory  in  our  salvation,  as 
the  Scriptures  expressly  declare  shall  be  ascribed  to  him. 
This  will  appear  evident  from  the  consideration  of  a 
few  remarkable  passages,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Tes¬ 
tament,  concerning  Christ. 

In  the  seventy-second  Psalm  it  is  foretold  of  the  Re¬ 
deemer,  that  "  prayer  shall  be  made  for  him  continually, 
and  daily  shall  he  be  praised.”  This  glorious  prediction 
receives  a  full  and  complete  accomplishment  by  the 
continual  dependence  of  all  the  faithful  on  Jesus  Christ 
for  supplies  of  wisdom,  righteousness  and  strength, 
and  by  their  continued  thankfulness  to  him  for  the  gift 
of  such  inestimable  benefits. 

The  evangelical  prophet  Isaiah  abounds  with  empha- 
tical  declarations  of  the  perpetual  reliance  of  believers 
on  Christ  Jesus.  The  conversion  of  the  gentile  world 
to  him  is  expressed  in  this  manner,  "The  isles  shall 
wait  upon  me,  and  upon  mine  arm  shall  they  trust.”  By 
the  same  inspired  penman  the  Redeemer,  with  a  gran¬ 
deur  and  richness  of  mercy  becoming  his  infinite  ma¬ 
jesty,  thus  addresses  a  sinful  world  : 

"  Look  unto  me  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the 
earth:  for  I  am  God;  and  there  is  none  else.  I  have 
sworn  by  myself,  the  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in 
righteousness,  and  shall  not  return ;  that  unto  me  every 
knee  shall  bow,  every  tongue  shall  swear.  Surely,  shall 
one  say,  in  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength  ; 
even  to  him  shall  men  come ;  and  all  that  are  incensed 
against  him  shall  be  ashamed.  In  the  Lord  shall  all 
the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified,  and  shall  glory.”  Isaiah, 
45  :  22-25. 

"  Here  the  Son  of  God  represents  himself  in  all  the 
glory  of  his  divine  person,  and  all  the  efficacy  of  his 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


127 


grace,  as  the  object  of  faith  and  the  author  of  salvation, 
'Look  unto  me,’  says  he,  wretched  ruined  transgress¬ 
ors,  as  the  wounded  Israelites  looked  unto  the  brazen 
serpent ;  look  unto  me,  dying  on  the  cross  as  your  vie 
tim,  and  obeying  the  law  as  your  surety.  Not  by  your 
own  strength  or  virtue,  but  by  dependence  on  me  be  ye 
saved,  cleansed  from  guilt,  rescued  from  the  power  of 
sin,  and  reconciled  to  God. 

"  Do  you  ask,  Who  are  invited  to  partake  of  this  in¬ 
estimable  benefit  1  '  All  the  ends  of  the  earth.’  People 
of  every  nation  under  heaven,  of  every  station  in  life, 
of  every  condition  and  of  every  character,  not  except¬ 
ing  the  chief  of  sinners. 

"Do  you  say,  Is  it  possible  that  in  this  way,  so  short, 
so  simple,  merely  by  dependence  on  Jesus  Christ,  innu¬ 
merable  millions  should  be  saved  1  It  is  not  only  pos¬ 
sible,  but  certain;  'For  I  am  God;’  infinite  in  dignity 
and  power,  therefore  all-sufficient,  yea,  omnipotent  to 
save,  to  save  all  that  come  unto  me,  be  their  multitude 
ever  so  great,  or  their  case  ever  so  desperate.  '  And 
besides  me  there  is  none  other;’  no  person  can  take 
any  share  in  this  great  transaction.  Such  is  my  com¬ 
passionate  invitation.  And  this  my  inviolable  decree : 
I  have  not  only  spoken,  but  '  I  have  sworn  by  myself,’ 
and  all  my  incomprehensible  excellencies :  '  the  word  is 
gone  out  of  my  mouth  in  righteousness ;’  that  word 
which  relates  to  the  grandest  of  all  subjects,  and  the 
most  important  of  all  interests,  is  planned,  adjusted  and 
unalterably  determined ;  '  it  shall  not  return,’  neither 
be  repealed  by  me,  nor  frustrated  by  any  other.  '  To 
me  every  knee  shall  bow ;’  every  soul  of  man  that  de¬ 
sires  to  inherit  eternal  life,  shall  submit  to  and  depend 
upon  me  ;  as  an  unworthy  creature,  as  an  obnoxious 
criminal;  he  shall  obtain  the  blessing  wholly  through 
my  atonement.  To  me  '  every  tongue  shall  swear ;’  re¬ 
nouncing  every  other  trust,  they  shall  repose  the  confi- 


128 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAX. 


dence  of  their  souls  on  me  alone,  and  make  public  con¬ 
fession  of  this  their  faith  before  the  whole  world :  and 
this  shall  be  the  form  of  .their  oath,  and  the  tenor  of 
their  heartfelt  confession ;  each  member  of  my  church 
shall  say,  '  Surely,’  it  is  most  wonderful,  yet  a  most 
faithful  saying,  extremely  comfortable  and  equally  cer 
tain;  Surely  '  in  the  Lord,’  the  incarnate  Jehovah  alone, 
'  have  I  righteousness,’  to  expiate  all  my  iniquities,  and 
satisfy  the  law ;  '  and  strength,’  for  an  increasing  im 
provement  of  heart  and  sanctification  of  soul. 

"  To  this  sovereign  decree  the  prophet,  as  it  were,  sel 
to  his  seal ;  or  else  in  a  transport  of  joy  he  foretells  the 
accomplishment  of  it :  Yes,  '  to  him,’  even  to  this  great 
and  gracious  Redeemer,  '  shall  men  come.’  I  see  them 
flying  as  clouds  for  multitude,  and  as  doves  for  speed- 
They  believe  the  report  of  his  Gospel,  and  receive  of 
his  fulness.  Whilst  '  all  they  that  are  incensed  at  him,’ 
who  cannot  away  with  such  absolute  dependence  upon 
him,  nor  bear  his  pure  and  holy  government,  '  shall  be 
ashamed.’  The  fig-leaves  of  their  own  virtues  and  their 
own  endowments  shall  neither  adorn  them  for  glory, 
nor  screen  them  from  wrath;  but  shall  abandon  them  to 
vengeance,  and  cover  them  with  double  confusion. 
Whilst  on  the  other  hand  '  all  the  seed  of  Israel,’  every 
true  believer  'shall  be  justified’  in  the  Lord.  Against 
these  persons  no  accusation  shall  be  valid,  no  condem¬ 
nation  take  place.  Far  from  it;  for  so  magnificent  is 
the  majesty,  so  surprisingly  efficacious  are  the  merits 
of  the  Savior,  that  in  him  they  shall  not  only  confide, 
but  '  glory ;’  not  only  be  safe,  but  triumphant ;  able  to 
challenge  every  adversary,  and  to  defy  every  danger.”* 

Whether  this  text  be  considered  with  or  without  this 

(• 

*  For  this  explanation  of  the  sacred  text  the  reader  is  indebted  to 
a  manuscript  of  the  late  pious  and  exemplary  Mr.  Hervey.  Since 
the  first  edition  of  this  work  it  has  been  inserted  by  Mr.  Hervey  in 
one  of  his  printed  letters  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wesley. 


JUST  IDEA  OF  FAITH. 


129 


comment,  it  plainly  proves  that  Jesus  Christ  is  to  be 
acknowledged  as  the  only  author  of  our  salvation.  It 
clearly  marks  the  nature  of  true  faith  to  be  a  lively  de¬ 
pendence  on  Christ,  to  receive  out  of  his  fulness  grace 
for  grace.  It  shows  that  to  conceive  any  thing  to  be 
faith  short  of  such  absolute  and  constant  dependence 
on  Jesus,  is  to  degrade  the  importance  of  the  Son  of 
God  to  his  church,  and  to  obscure,  if  not  abolish,  his 
glory.  To  suppose  that  you  have  faith,  merely  because 
you  allow  Jesus  to  have  been  no  impostor  in  what  he 
taught,  or  even  because  you  grant  his  death  to  have 
been  an  atonement  for  sin,  is  to  glorify  him  very  little  in 
comparison  of  maintaining  an  uninterrupted  dependence 
upon  him.  In  the  one  case  he  appears  as  a  common 
benefactor  to  whose  past  generous  deeds  we  have  been 
much  indebted ;  in  the  other,  as  our  continual  support, 
of  whom  we  may  triumphantly  say,  "  The  Lord  is  my 
light  and  my  Salvation,  whom  shall  I  fear  I  The  Lord  is 
t  he  strength  of  my  life,  of  whom,  then,  shall  I  be  afraid  1” 
In  placing  him  in  this  glorious  point  of  view  before 
the  eyes  of  our  mind,  the  New  Testament  perfectly 
concurs  with  the  Old.  Thus  St.  Paul  and  St.  Peter  re¬ 
present  the  faith  of  the  Christian  church  to  be  such  a 
personal  dependence  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
subsists  between  the  foundation  of  a  lofty  temple  and 
its  several  parts,  which  continually  bears  their  whole 
weight  upon  it.  Eph.  2:21;  1  Pet.  2  :  4,  5.  They  again 
explain  this  dependence  by  the  union  of  the  members 
of  the  body  with  the  head,  Eph.  4 :  15,  16  ;  whilst  Jesus 
himself  compares  it  to  the  union  of  the  branches  with 
the  vine.  But  none  of  these  scriptural  representations 
can  be  supposed  to  be  used  even  with  the  justness  and 
accuracy  common  to  human  writers,  unless  by  faith  in 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  be  meant  an  abiding 
heartfelt  dependence  on  him  for  salvation  and  all  spirit¬ 
ual  influences  and  blessings. 

6* 


130 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


It  would,  be  superfluous  to  add  more  Scripture  evi¬ 
dence  on  this  head ;  but  it  is  of  the  highest  importance 
that  you  examine  yourself  where  the  stress  of  your  de¬ 
pendence  for  the  good  of  your  soul  is  placed.  To  what 
source  are  you  looking  for  pardon  and  strength,  com¬ 
fort  and  sanctification  1  To  your  own  good  purposes 
and  endeavors,  to  your  own  prayers,  meditations  and 
good  qualities  j  or,  through  them  all,  to  that  inexhausti 
ble  treasury  which  God  has  provided  for  poor,  helpless, 
guilty  men  in  the  person  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ'? 
Blessed  is  your  condition  if  you  have  this  testimony  in 
your  conscience  ;  that,  acknowledging  your  own  natu¬ 
ral  ignorance  and  blindness,  you  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  to  enlighten  your  mind,  to  make  his  way 
plain  before  you,  and  to  give  you  a  strong  and  distinct 
perception  of  the  great  things  concerning  your  eternal 
peace.  Blessed  is  your  condition,  if  feeling  your  utter 
incapacity  to  procure  the  favor  of  God  by  the  best  of 
your  duties,  reformations  or  performances,  and  con¬ 
founded  in  your  own  sight  for  your  great  defects,  you 
build  all  your  hope  of  acceptance  with  God  upon  what 
Christ  has  done  and  suffered  for  you.  Blessed  is  your 
condition,  if  afflicted  by  the  exceeding  vileness  of  your 
corrupt  affections,  and  longing  for  victory  over  them,  for 
a  more  spiritual  mind,  and  for  a  farther  progress  in  love 
both  to  God  and  man,  you  depend  upon  the  renewing, 
sanctifying  grace  of  Christ  to  work  this  divine  change 
within  you.  This  is  to  believe  in  the  only-begotten  Son 
of  God  without  partiality  and  without  hypocrisy.  This 
the  word  of  God  pronounces  to  be  that  dependence  on 
Christ  which  shall  never  be  confounded.  May  the 
Giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift  create  in  your 
soul  this  unfeigned  faith,  if  you  have  it  not  already ; 
and  if  you  have,  may  he  confirm  and  increase  it  still 
more  abundantly. 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


131 


CHAPTER  XII. 

'  -  y  ,  .  *  * 

F+1TT2I  IJT  CHRIST.— continued. 

j*  ,  ■  * 

THE  FOUNDATION  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  CHRIST  FOR  PARDON. 

v.  v  '  ‘  r  •  -  » 

)  ‘  ■'  /  , 

The  same  gracious  and  holy  God  who  planned  the 
method  of  recovering  lost  sinners  through  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  has  not  only  required,  by  his  express  com¬ 
mand,  faith  in  him ;  but,  from  the  first  entrance  of  sin 
into  the  world,  he  has  been  manifesting  to  the  world,  in 
various  ways  and  in  the  fullest  manner,  the  character 
and  glory  of  the  Redeemer ,  and  the  safety  of  all  who  de¬ 
pend  upon  him  in  sincerity  and  truth. 

This  testimony,  which  God  has  given  of  his  only  be¬ 
gotten  Son,  is  the  solid,  rational  and  immovable  foun¬ 
dation  of  Christian  faith ;  and  so  amply  does  it  display 
the  completeness  of  his  salvation,  that,  as  I  purpose  to 
prove,  there  is  no  part  of  our  dreadful  disease  and  mi¬ 
sery  as  sinners,  for  which  there  is  not  a  sufficient  re¬ 
medy  in  the  perfections  he  possesses,  and  in  the  offices 
he  sustains  for  the  salvation  of  his  church. 

To  illustrate  this,  every  man,  it  has  been  shown  above, 
is  chargeable  with  the  guilt  of  sin  against  his  Creator, 
and  of  course  stands  exposed  to  the  curse  of  God’s  vio¬ 
lated  law,  and  to  the  pains  of  eternal  punishment.  Let 
us  see,  then,  what  properties  there  are  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  sufficient  to  render  him,  in  this  case,  the  object 
of  our  trust ;  what  a  sufficient  warrant  to  justify  our  firm 
dependence  on  him,  as  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  in 
the  sight  of  a  holy  sin-avenging  God. 

The  answer  which  the  divine  record  returns  to  this 
momentous  inquiry  is  sufficient  to  dispel  every  doubt, 


132 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


and  to  impart  strong  consolation  to  the  most  guilty  soul 
that  earnestly  seeks  for  acceptance  with  its  Maker.  For 
it  expressly  declares,  that  this  Jesus,  on  whom  you  are 
to  depend,  is  one  in  nature  and  essence  with  God ;  that 
"  his  goings  forth”  (that  is,  his  existence)  "have  been 
from  of  old,  from  everlasting.”  Micah,  5  :  2.  That  to 
his  almighty  power  the  earth  owes  all  its  prolific  virtue, 
and  that  variety  of  fruits  which  it  produces  for  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  men ;  that  from  the  worm  which  crawls  unno¬ 
ticed  by  us  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  up  to  the 
brightest  angel  before  the  throne  of  glory,  the  Redeemer 
formed  them  what  they  are,  and  still  preserves  them  in 
their  being  :  for,  ”  In  the  beginning — the  Word  was  with 
God,  and  the  Word  was  God. — All  things  were  made  by 
him ;  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made.”  John,  1  :  1-3.  ”  For  by  him  all  things  were 

created,  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visi¬ 
ble  and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions, 
or  principalities,  or  powers ;  all  things  were  created  by 
him,  and  for  him  :  and  he  is  before  all  things,  and  by 
him  all  things  consist.”  Col.  1  :  16,  17.  On  account  of 
this  original  and  eternal  glory,  when  the  Redeemer  is 
brought  into  the  world  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  though 
he  was  no  more  in  appearance  than  a  weeping  babe  $ 
though  horn,  like  the  child  of  some  vagabond,  in  a  sta¬ 
ble,  and  laid  in  a  manger ;  even  at  this  moment  the  Fa¬ 
ther  saith,  ”  Let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  him.”  Heb. 
1:6.  For  though  abased  in  this  mysterious  manner, 
still  he  is  the  Creator  and  God  of  angels  :  he  is  ”  God 
manifested  in  the  flesh.”  1  Tim.  3  :  16.  Immanuel,  that 
is,  God  with  us,  is  his  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called. 

Here,  then,  in  this  character,  drawn  not  by  the  erring 
pencil  of  men,  hut  by  the  Spirit  of  truth  in  the  oracles 
of  God  :  here  behold  the  proper  object  of  every  repent¬ 
ing  sinner’s  dependence.  See  with  what  just  reason 
you  may  confide  in  Him  who  possesses  all  the  attributes 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


133 


and  perfections  of  the  Godhead ; — in  him  who  at  the 
very  time  his  appearance  in  our  flesh  was  foretold,  had 
his  dignity  proclaimed  by  the  prophetic  herald  in  this 
magnificent  manner :  "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us 
a  son  is  given :  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulder :  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Counsellor,  The  mighty  God,  The  everlasting  Father, 
The  Prince  of  Peace.”  Isa.  9  :  6. 

Had  it  been  only  declared  by  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
of  hosts,  that  one  of  such  infinite  dignity  would  be 
favorable  to  all  humbled  and  repenting  sinners,  and 
would  plead  in  their  behalf  before  his  Father,  even  this 
simple  declaration  ought  to  engage  the  confidence  of 
the  guilty:  it  would  be  a  sufficient  warrant  to  justify 
their  dependence  on  him.  For  if  the  Redeemer  be 
really  possessed  of  infinite  perfections,  he  must  be  a  fit 
object  of  confidence  to  the  soul,  supposing  he  were 
pleased  to  declare  his  merciful  disposition  toward  it. 
But  he  has  done  far  more  than  simply  declare  his  good 
will  to  perishing  sinners;  the  depth  of  his  humiliation 
and  the  sacrifice  of  his  life  present  to  us  indisputable 
and  most  affecting  proofs  that  the  Redeemer  is  worthy 
of  our  highest  confidence.  For  the  same  infallible  re¬ 
cord  which  assures  us  that  he  was  in  the  form  of  God, 
worshipped  and  acknowledged  as  such  in  heaven,  think¬ 
ing  it  no  robbery,  no  usurpation  of  glory,  to  be  equal 
with  God,  assures  us  likewise  that  in  pity  to  a  ruined 
world  he  was  content  to  live  and  die  a  substitute  and 
surety  for  sinful  man. 

In  the  fulness  of  time,  according  to  that  counsel  of 
peace  between  the  Father  and  the  Son  recorded  in  the 
fortieth  Psalm,  the  Savior,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord,  was 
born  into  the  world  with  a  body  prepared  for  him  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  took  not  on  him  the 
nature  of  angels,  but  he  took  on  him  the  seed  of  Abra¬ 
ham,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh.  In- 


134 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


stead  of  appearing  in  that  royal  character  which  the  car 
nal  Jews  expected,  as  a  visible  conqueror  of  their  poli 
tical  foes,  he  was  made  lower  than  men,  and  counted  as 
no  man !  And  though  men  of  the  lowest  stations  have 
generally  the  fewest  troubles,  his  case  was  the  reverse, 
the  reverse  both  of  the  grandeur  of  princes  and  of  the 
tranquillity  of  the  vulgar.  Pre-eminence  in  the  multi¬ 
tude  and  weight  of  sorrows  was  his  only  distinction. 
Yet  a  man  of  low  condition,  though  overwhelmed  with 
troubles,  may  possess  a  high  reputation,  at  least  one 
untainted  ;  but  Jesus  descended  below  this,  and  sub¬ 
mitted  even  to  bear  the  imputation  of  being  an  impostor 
and  a  blasphemer.  Nay,  he  stooped  still  lower,  and  not 
only  stood  as  a  criminal  at  the  bar  of  Pilate,  but  appeared 
such,  by  imputation,  before  the  Judge  of  the  universe. 
"  Ancf  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all 
whilst  other  condemned  malefactors  are  charged  only 
with  the  crimes  committed  by  themselves,  and  with  but 
a  few  of  those,  the  Scripture  represents  this  unparalleled 
sufferer  as  oppressed  with  the  crimes  of  multitudes,  in 
number  like  the  sands  on  the  sea-shore ;  a  weight  more 
heavy  and  terrible  to  sustain  than  we  are  able  to  con¬ 
ceive  !  But  this  we  know,  that  the  curse  of  the  law  was 
a  weight  sufficient  to  crush  a  world.  We  know  that 
they  who  first  experienced  it  found  it  to  be  intolerable  ; 
for  when  legions  of  angels,  which  excel  in  strength, 
abused  that  strength  against  the  law,  it  sunk  them  from 
the  highest  heaven  to  the  lowest  misery  of  hell. 

This  weight  Jesus  undertook  to  bear  for  us;  he  was 
made  sin  (a  sin-offering)  and  a  curse  for  us.  He  inter¬ 
posed  his  sacred  body  between  the  load  of  wrath  from 
above,  and  us  the  heirs  of  wrath  below.  Instead  of  that 
high  ineffable  communion  of  love  in  which  he  dwelt 
with  his  Father,  he  refused  not  to  feel  the  exquisite 
sorrow  of  being  forsaken  of  him.  Till  that  distress,  ne¬ 
ver  had  Jesus  made  a  request  for  pity:  he  sought  none 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


135 


from  Pilate when  the  sympathizing  daughters  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  wept  over  him,  he  meekly  advised  them  to  re¬ 
serve  their  compassion  for  themselves  and  their  chil¬ 
dren.  But  now  at  this  hour,  when  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  bruise  him,  he,  who  was  like  a  sheep  dumb  before 
the  shearers,  is  dumb  no  longer ;  the  Lamb  of  God, 
when  brought  to  this  dreadful  slaughter,  must  open  his 
mouth,  and  pity  itself  must  cry  for  pity.  It  was  the 
blasphemous  language  of  his  murderers,  "  where  is  now 
thy  God!”  And  behold,  so  exquisite  are  the  pangs  of 
his  distressed  soul,  that  something  like  the  same  lan¬ 
guage  comes  from  his  own  mouth:  he  cries  out,  "My 
God  !  my  God !  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  !” 

So  particular  is  the  Scripture  testimony  in  describing 
the  humiliation  and  death  of  the  Redeemer  :  and  not 
less  explicit  in  ascertaining  both  the  end  for  which  he 
humbled  himself  to  the  death  of  the  cross,  and  the  ever¬ 
lasting  benefits  he  thus  secured  to  all  his  faithful  fol¬ 
lowers.  Notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  he  met, 
both  from  the  enemy  of  sinners  and  sinners  themselves, 
he  obtained  a  perfect  conquest,  and  died  with  this  trans¬ 
porting  shout  of  victory  in  his  mouth:  "  It  is  finished,” 
the  work  of  man’s  redemption  is  completed ;  the  powers 
of  hell  are  vanquished,  and  God  is  well  pleased. 

Ponder  then  upon  this  marvellous  transaction ;  upon 
this  horrible  torment  and  death,  sustained,  not  by  any 
angelic  or  created  being,  but  by  Him  in  whom  dwelt  all 
the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.  Consider  the  depth 
of  his  abasement,  and  the  extremity  of  his  anguish ;  all 
submitted  to  with  no  other  view  than  to  make  an  atone¬ 
ment  for  sin,  and  to  purchase  redemption,  even  the  for¬ 
giveness  of  sin,  for  all  who  should  ever  trust  in  his 
name.  Consider  this  fact,  and  then  say,  can  even  inven¬ 
tion  itself  devise,  or  the  most  afflicted  conscience  desire 
a  more  sure  foundation  to  trust  on  for  pardon  and  ac¬ 
ceptance  with  God!  What  can  the  law  demand  of  you, 


136 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


either  as  an  exemption  from  suffering  its  penalty,  or  as 
a  title  to  eternal  life,  which  this  vicarious  obedience 
and  sacrifice  of  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  has  not  abun¬ 
dantly  provided  in  behalf  of  all  true  believers  1 

1  will  suppose  your  sins  in  their  malignancy  and  num¬ 
ber  to  be  enormous,  and  to  cry  with  the  loudest  cry  or 
vengeance :  still,  if  in  anguish  of  spirit  for  them  you 
humbly  trust  to  Jesus  for  remission,  can  they  have  such 
weight,  do  you  think,  to  condemn  you,  as  the  blood  of 
an  incarnate  God  to  take  them  away  1  Have  your  of¬ 
fences  dishonored  God’s  law  more  than  the  obedience 
and  death  of  the  Redeemer  have  magnified  it  1  Or  have 
not  those  transgressions  been  fully  expiated,  for  which 
the  Lawgiver  himself  was  put  to  death  1  Though  you 
dare  not  risk  your  pardon  on  the  vague  notion  of  mere 
mercy,  now  that  your  understanding  is  enlightened  and 
your  conscience  faithful  in  its  rebukes ;  though  you  dare 
not  embrace  the  fashionable  religion,  which  leaves  such 
awful  things  as  the  justice  of  the  Most  High  and  the 
law  of  the  Most  Holy  destitute  of  their  due  honor ; 
though  you  can  never  trust  to  obedience  and  future 
amendment  as  any  atonement  for  past  transgressions ; 
yet  steadfastly  fix  your  eyes  on  the  matchless  ransom 
paid  down  by  Jesus  on  the  cross.  See  !  there  the  glory 
of  the  holy  God  reconciled  with  the  good  of  the  hum¬ 
bled  criminal.  See  there  the  justice  of  God  more  aw¬ 
ful  than  if  mercy  had  been  excluded,  and  mercy  more 
amiable  than  if  justice  had  been  dispensed  with.  See  how 
vengeance  and  forbearance  there  meet  together ;  ven¬ 
geance  on  the  person  of  the  crucified  Redeemer,  and 
forbearance  for  his  sake  to  every  believing  penitent. 
See  there  wrath  and  love  kiss  each  other  ;  wrath  to¬ 
wards  the  divine  substitute,  love  to  the  insolvent  and 
ruined  sinner.  By  this  contrivance  every  honor  done 
to  the  criminal  is  an  honor  done  to  the  law,  because  he 
receives  it  only  through  the  obedience  and  satisfaction 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


137 


paid  to  it  by  his  surety  ;  and  the  respect  put  upon  the  law 
puts  respect  also  upon  the  pardoned  offender,  because 
of  the  divinity  of  Him  who  undertook  to  bear  his  curse. 

Is  not  this  ransom  then  a  solid  ground  for  peace  to 
the  broken  in  heart  1  a  transaction  in  which  God  holds 
forth  his  only  begotten  Son,  nailed  to  a  cross,  "  to  be  a 
propitiation  for  sin  through  faith  in  his  blood,  that  he 
might  be  just,  and  yet  the  justifier  of  all  them  that  be¬ 
lieve  in  Jesus'!”  Is  it  possible  for  the  powers  of  dark¬ 
ness  to  form  a  cloud  through  the  gloom  of  which  this 
most  glorious  truth  will  not  be  able  to  dart  light  and 
comfort  I  May  our  souls  open  to  receive  it;  it  is  a 
beam  from  the  face  of  the  Redeemer  to  them  that  sit  in 
darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death. 

Still  stronger  will  the  ground  for  confidence  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  appear,  when  you  take  into  view  the 
free  and  gracious  manner  in  which  you  are  invited  to 
become  a  partaker  of  the  blessings  of  redemption.  The 
great  generally  sell  even  what  they  call  their  favors  : 
long  services  or  powerful  recommendations  are  their 
inducements  to  confer  dignity  or  bestow  wealth.  But 
far  otherwise,  as  our  most  impotent  condition  requires, 
is  the  case  with  respect  to  forgiveness  purchased  by 
the  blood  of  Christ.  No  impossible  or  hard  condition 
is  previously  required  on  the  sinner’s  part :  no  works 
of  righteousness  are  required  to  be  first  performed  in 
your  own  strength,  and  then  pleaded  as  your  recom¬ 
mendation  :  no  set  of  holy  tempers,  or  stock  of  moral 
virtue,,  to  be  first  acquired.  All  this  righteous  practice 
is  to  follow  upon  believing,  and  to  be  produced  from 
strength  and  grace  received  through  constant  applica¬ 
tion  to  the  Redeemer.  The  invitation  runs  in  these  most 
encouraging  terms :  "  Ho  !  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come 
ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money (no  one 
single  qualification) — "  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk 
without  money,  and  without  price.”  Isaiah,  55  :  1.  ”  The 


138 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost,”  to  purchase  pardon  for  rebels  and  enemies  to 
God;  of  consequence,  the  only  requisite  to  partake  of 
his  grace,  is  that  you  behold  yourself  that  perishing 
sinner  that  God  saw  you  would  be,  when  he  delivered 
up  his  Son  for  our  offences ;  and  that  you  are  glad  to 
lay  hold  on  this  hope  set  before  you.  And  surely  the 
most  fearful  doubting  mind  cannot  desire  more  encou¬ 
ragement  to  believe  :  the  most  dejected  conscience 
cannot  conceive  a  place  of  refuge  more  adapted  to  its 
distressed  condition  :  nor  can  even  the  worst  of  sin¬ 
ners  desire  more  gracious  advances  towards  peace  and 
reconciliation. 


- - 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

F.1ITII  IJV  CH ms  T.— continued. 

THE  FOUNDATION  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  CHRIST  FOR  PARDON 

AND  INSTRUCTION. 

So  important  is  it  that  man  should  place  a  full  de¬ 
pendence  upon  Christ  for  the  pardon  of  his  sins,  that 
God  has  been  pleased  to  confirm  the  declaration  of  his 
ability  to  save  by  an  unusual  degree  of  evidence.  He 
has  displayed,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  divinity  of 
his  person,  the  merit  of  his  death  as  an  atonement,  and 
the  unbounded  freeness  of  his  invitation,  in  order  to  en¬ 
courage  man  to  put  his  trust  in  him.  But  besides  these 
there  are  still  further  evidences  of  his  power  and  wil¬ 
lingness  to  save.  Let  me  refer  you  to  the  intercession 


FAITH  I JM  CHKIST. 


139 


of  Jesus ,  who  is  become  our  great  High- 'Priest :  and  to 
the  declarations  of  Scripture,  that  every  one  who  de¬ 
pends  on  him  shall  abundantly  receive  the  blessings 
which  he  needs.  What  a  sure  foundation  for  confidence 
to  the  humble  repenting  sinner  does  the  office  of  Jesus 
as  high-priest  afford!  "Every  high-priest,”  says  the 
Scripture,  "taken  from  among  men,  is  ordained  for 
men  for  their  spiritual  interest  and  advantage  ;  all 
his  influence  and  power  are  to  be  employed  in  their  be¬ 
half.  With  a  view  to  the  benefit  of  man  was  the  office 
originally  and  entirely  ordained  of  God.  And  the  things 
appointed  for  him  to  do  prove  this.  He  was  to  "  offer 
both  gifts  and  sacrifices  for  sin sacrifices,  to  make  an 
atonement ;  and  gifts,  on  account  of  which  God  might 
vouchsafe  to  continue  his  forfeited  favor.  With  the 
same  view  the  grand  qualification,  indispensably  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  execution  of  this  office,  was  a  heart  that 
knew  how  to  have  compassion  on  the  ignorant  and  on 
them  that  are  out  of  the  way  of  duty  and  safety. 

Now  this  office  of  high-priest,  and  all  the  functions 
belonging  to  it,  we  are  taught  were  only  designed  to 
serve  unto  the  example  and  shadow  of  heavenly  things : 
in  other  words,  to  be  an  outward  and  visible  way  of  in¬ 
structing  us  in  the  nature  of  the  office  which  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  sustains  in  the  highest  heaven  for  sinners, 
and  of  the  benefits  they  may  expect  from  him.  He  is 
made  a  high-priest  of  good  things  to  come :  he  is  en¬ 
tered,  not  with  the  blood  of  goats  and  calves  into  the 
holy  place,  which  was  the  figure  of  the  true,  but  into 
heaven  itself,  there  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God 
for  us.  He  is  therefore  under  the  strongest  engage¬ 
ments  of  office  to  mediate  for  all  that  shall  come  to 
God  by  him.  And  lest  we  should  imagine  ourselves  too 
mean  to  engage  his  pity,  particular  mention  is  made, 
that  he  is  touched  with  a  feeling  of  our  infirmities: 
having  been  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet 


140 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


without  sin.  Therefore,  from  an  experimental  know 
ledge  of  the  same  difficulties  and  distresses  we  are 
now  enduring,  he  has  that  exquisite  tenderness  of  sym¬ 
pathy  with  us  which  would  not  otherwise  have  been 
possible.  What  then  can  warrant  an  unshaken  confi¬ 
dence  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  pardon,  if  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  him  as  our  great  High-Priest  fails  to  do  it]  Is 
your  heart  broken  for  sin,  your  spirit  wounded  within 
you  1  Parley  not  with  your  fears,  listen  not  to  the  ac¬ 
cuser  5  look  unto  Jesus,  your  propitiation,  your  inter¬ 
cessor  5  as  the  wounded,  tormented,  dying  Israelites 
looked  unto  the  brazen  serpent.  Look  unto  him  for 
healing  and  for  life  :  look  unto  him  who  appears  as 
your  advocate,  ever  living  to  make  intercession  for  sin¬ 
ners  in  your  distressed  condition.  He  must  fail  in  the 
engagements  of  his  office,  and  do  violence  to  that  mercy 
which  constitutes  his  fitness  for  that  office,  before  the 
humble  dependence  of  a  penitent  sinner  on  his  blood 
and  intercession  shall  be  disappointed. 

If  any  thing  more  can  be  added  to  engage  your  con¬ 
fidence  in  the  Redeemer  for  the  remission  of  your  sins, 
when  you  are  sorrowing  for  them,  and  to  convince  you 
on  what  a  strong  foundation  it  is  built,  it  must  be  the 
solemn  repeated  declarations  in  the  Avord  of  God,  that 
the  sacrifice  of  his  only-begotten  Son  is  accepted  in  his 
sight  as  a  complete  atonement  for  the  sins  of  those  A\rho 
believe  on  his  name  j  and  that  it  shall  be  imputed  to 
them,  in  its  incomparable  efficacy,  to  save  them  from 
deserved  Avrath.  Declarations  of  this  purport  are  (blessed 
be  God  for  his  abounding  grace !)  many  in  number.  It 
Avill  be  sufficient  to  select  a  feAv  of  the  most  striking-  ones, 
relating  to  the  vicarious  death  and  sacrifice  of  Jesus. 

Isaiah,  in  his  most  affecting  detail  of  the  Messiah’s 
sufferings,  after  having  expressly  affirmed  that  Jesus 
suffered  as  a  surety  and  substitute  for  us,  "  Avounded  for 
our  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquity  j”  tha* 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


141 


"  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him  and  put  him  to 
grief,”  in  order  that  by  bearing  the  tremendous  curse 
in  his  own  body,  it  might  pass  over  the  heads  of  be¬ 
lievers:  thus  magnificently  declares  the  efficacy  of  his 
sacrifice  :  "  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and 
shall  be  satisfied  :  by  his  knowledge  shall  my  righteous 
servant  justify  many  ;  for  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities 
(Isaiah,  53;)  that  is,  bear  them  as  the  scape-goat  did, 
carrying  them  away  into  the  pathless  inaccessible  wil¬ 
derness,  so  that  they  shall  not  be  found  when  sought 
for  by  the  malicious  tempter. 

In  another  place  we  are  informed  by  the  angel  Ga¬ 
briel,  commissioned  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  greatly- 
beloved  Daniel ;  that  when  Messiah  the  prince  was  "  cut 
off,”  in  that  oblation  of  himself  on  the  cross,  he  accom¬ 
plished  a  work  suitable  to  his  own  infinite  glory.  He 
"finished  the  transgression”  by  an  expiation  of  it,  and 
by  redeeming  all  who  should  believe  in  him  from  its 
curse.  "  He  made  an  end  of  sin,”  by  delivering  from 
its  detestable  dominion  all  who  should  flee  to  him  for 
succor.  "He  made  reconciliation  for  iniquity,”  by 
bringing  the  faithful  to  possess  peace  with  God,  and  by 
replacing  them  in  his  forfeited  favor.  "He  brought  in 
everlasting  righteousness,”  a  righteousness  whose  vir¬ 
tue  will  continue  to  justify  all  that  believe  throughout 
all  ages ;  and  with  which  eternal  life  stands  connected 
by  the  promise  of  God.  Daniel,  9  :  24. 

These  glorious  effects  of  the  Redeemer’s  sacrifice 
were  perfectly  known  to  the  innumerable  millions  of 
the  heavenly  host;  therefore,  so  soon  as  Jesus  appear* 
ed  in  our  flesh,  they  filled  the  air  avith  their  presence, 
breaking  forth  into  this  congratulatory  song  of  praise, 
the  same  in  import  with  Gabriel’s  message  to  the  be¬ 
loved  Daniel,  saying,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  on 
earth  peace,  good  will  towards  men.” 

To  the  testimony  of  prophets  and  angels  the  imme- 


142 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


diate  voice  of  God  from  heaven  must  be  joined:  "  This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.”  It  is 
he,  who  by  his  life  and  death  magnifies  my  law,  restores 
my  ruined  creatures  to  life  and  happiness,  and  accom¬ 
plishes  a  work  of  all  others  most  pleasing  in  my  sight. 

The  same  strong  attestations  does  the  Redeemer  him¬ 
self  give  to  the  efficacy  of  his  atoning  death.  "God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,” 
(gave  him  up  to  suffer  on  the  cross,)  "  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life.”  In  another  discourse  he  declares,  "  He  gave  his 
flesh  for  the  life  of  the  world  :”  and  just  before  his  de¬ 
parture,  that  "He  shed  his  blood  for  the  remission  of 
the  sins  of  many.” 

Consider  and  weigh  well  the  force  of  all  these  testi¬ 
monies,  and  you  will  be  constrained  to  say  that  nothing 
more  could  have  been  done  to  engage  those  who  feel 
the  guilt  and  misery  of  their  sins,  to  place  their  whole 
dependence  on  Jesus  Christ  for  pardon.  It  is  not  now 
possible  for  a  penitent  sinner  to  make  a  single  objec 
tion  which  is  not  evidently  answered.  With  equal  pro¬ 
priety  and  mercy,  therefore,  is  this  call  addressed  to 
sinners  of  every  denomination,  who  feel  their  misery 
and  are  athirst  for  pardon.  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  refresh  you.  It 
was  my  body  which  bore  your  sins  on  the  tree  when  I 
suffered,  the  just  for  the  unjust.  It  was  my  blood  which 
was  shed  by  the  sword  of  Justice  when  I  stood  in  your 
stead.  It  was  I,  who  being  the  brightness  of  my  Father’s 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,  and  up¬ 
holding  all  things  by  the  word  of  my  power,  purged 
away  your  sins  by  the  sacrifice  of  myself,  and  then  sat 
down  as  your  Mediator  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majes¬ 
ty  on  high.  Believe,  therefore,  on  me,  and  you  shall  re¬ 
ceive  remission  of  sins.” 

Remission  of  sins,  however,  though  a  blessing  most 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


143 


necessary  to  man,  reaches  but  a  part  of  his  wants.  As 
Adam’s  first  disobedience  sprung  from  his  impious  de¬ 
sire  to  he  like  God  in  knowledge,  so  the  just  punish¬ 
ment  of  his  sin  was  the  extinction  of  all  divine  light  in 
his  soul.  Hence  we,  his  fallen  offspring,  are  born  blind 
to  God  and  the  things  of  God  ;  though  the  knowledge 
of  them  is  far  preferable  to  life.  Hence  we  are  liable  to 
perpetual  delusion  and  prejudice  against  the  truth. 

For  our  relief,  therefore,  in  this  case,  we  are  com¬ 
manded  by  God  to  depend  on  the  Lord  Jesus  for  in¬ 
struction  and  spiritual  knowledge.  If  you  ask  on  what 
ground  you  may  build  such  dependence,  and  what  there 
is  in  Christ  Jesus  to  assure  you  of  success  1  the  an¬ 
swer  which  the  divine  record  returns  is  fully  satisfac¬ 
tory.  God  proclaims  in  the  Old  Testament  that  he  has 
given  his  Son  "  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles  $ — to  open  the 
blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison.” 
Isa.  42  :  6,  7.  By  his  prohet  Malachi  he  gives  him  a 
name  most  emphatically  significant  of  his  power  to 
communicate  knowledge.  He  calls  him  "  the  Sun  of 
righteousness to  assure  us  that  as  the  sun  in  the  fir¬ 
mament  dispenses  its  invigorating  influence  through  all 
parts  of  the  earth,  unveils  the  face  of  every  object  in 
the  visible  creation,  and  discovers  it  in  its  true  aspect ; 
so  the  Redeemer,  by  his  word  and  Spirit,  disperses  the 
gross  darkness  of  the  human  mind,  makes  divine  truth 
visible  and  intelligible,  and  strengthens  our  dim  facul¬ 
ties  to  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord  and  the  excellency 
of  our  God.  The  same  representation  of  the  office  of 
Jesus  as  a  teacher  is  again  repeated  by  Zacharias,  when, 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  celebrates  Christ’s  coming 
into  the  world  in  the  gracious  character  of  an  instructor 
of  those  who  were  lying  in  gross  darkness.  He  exalts 
our  opinions  of  Jesus  as  the  Day-spring  from  on  high, 
who,  through  the  tender  mercy  of  our  God,  came  ff  to 
ive  lio-ht  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness  and  in  the  sha- 


144 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


dow  of  death;  and  to  guide  our  feet  in  the  way  of 
peace.”  Luke,  1  :  79. 

Attestations  of  the  same  truth  are  frequent  in  the 
Scriptures.  The  beloved  disciple  who  lay  in  Jesus’ 
bosom,  expresses  his  ability  to  inform  and  teach  us,  by 
calling  him  "  The  Word  ;”  by  pointing  him  out  as  "  The 
true  light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world  $”  in  other  words,  as  that  matchless  person  from 
whose  word  and  Spirit  proceeds  all  the  divine  know¬ 
ledge  which  ever  was  or  shall  be  found  amongst  the 
children  of  men.  To  add  confirmation  to  these  testi¬ 
monies,  the  Redeemer  bears  record  of  himself  in  ex¬ 
pressions  of  the  same  kind,  and  of  the  strongest  im¬ 
port  :  ”  I,  Jesus,”  says  he,  ”  am  the  bright  and  morning 
star  ;”  chasing  the  darkness  of  sin  and  error  from  the 
mind  as  that  star  ushers  in  the  brightness  of  the  day, 
Rev.  22  :  16.  In  a  discourse  with  the  Jews,  who  were 
endeavoring  to  ensnare  him  by  subtilty,  Jesus  said, 
”  I  am  the  light  of  the  world  :  he  that  followeth  me 
shall  not  walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of 
life.”  John,  8  :  12.  Is  not  this  sufficient  to  assure  us, 
in  the  fullest  manner,  that  Jesus,  came  to  direct  sinners 
in  the  way  of  salvation  by  his  word  and  Spirit ;  and  that 
in  consequence  of  this  his  office,  whoever  depends  for 
teaching  and  guidance  upon  him,  shall  not  continue  in 
ignorance  and  error ;  but  shall  have  the  saving  light  of 
truth  surrounding  his  path,  and  making  the  way  plain 
before  him,  from  earth  to  heaven,  from  peace  to  glory '! 

To  these  testimonies  I  shall  only  add  what  St.  Paul  was 
inspired  to  teach  us  upon  the  same  subject.  He  declares 
that  Christ  Jesus  is  made  of  God  unto  us,  not  only 
"  righteousness  and  sanctification,”  but  "  wisdom ;”  be¬ 
cause  through  him,  as  a  teacher  sent  from  God,  we  may 
know  all  things  necessary  for  our  pardon,  comfort  and 
salvation.  1  Cor.  1  :  30.  In  another  place  that  divine  il¬ 
lumination  which  the  church  receives  from  Christ  Jesus 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


145 


the  Lord,  and  the  clear  discoveries  of  God’s  glorious 
being  and  perfection,  are  thus  emphatically  expressed  : 
u  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  dark¬ 
ness,  hath  shined  into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ.”  2  Cor.  4:6.  "  In  Christ,”  he  saith  again,  as 
proposed  and  manifested  to  us  in  the  Gospel,  "  are  hid 
all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  j”  in  him 
they  are  covered  under  the  veil  of  his  humanity  and 
deep  humiliation.  Observe  the  fulness  of  the  expres¬ 
sion  ;  the  apostle  does  not  say  treasure,  in  the  singular 
number,  though  this  must  have  implied  both  the  excel¬ 
lency  and  abundance  of  that  knowledge,  but  "  treasures.” 
He  doth  not  say  many  treasures,  though  this  would 
have  greatly  enlarged  our  conceptions  :  but  he  saith, 
"  in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
knowledge  :”  nothing  pertaining  to  spiritual  life  and 
godliness  can  be  imagined,  nothing  in  the  least  degree 
profitable  for  a  poor,  weak,  helpless,  sinful  creature  to 
know,  which  is  not  to  be  found  in  Christ  Jesus  as  an 
inexhaustible  magazine  which  the  bounty  of  the  God 
of  glory  has  provided  for  the  supply  of  our  necessities. 
Col.  2  :  3. 

Nor  can  it  be  thought  that  any  or  ail  of  these  Scrip¬ 
tures  ascribe  too  much  to  the  teaching  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  when  it  is  considered  that  the  very  end  of 
his  appearance  was  to  manifest  the  name  of  God,  and 
to  give  a  complete  revelation  of  bis  will  and  designs 
concerning  us.  Jesus  not  only  spake  the  words  of  pura 
truth  and  righteousness,  as  the  prophets  before  him,  but 
with  an  infinite  superiority  to  them  all,  exhibited  a  per¬ 
fect  model  in  his  own  example,  both  of  faith  and  prac 
lice.  And  whilst  other  deceased  prophets  retain  no  in¬ 
fluence  to  impress  their  words,  this  prophet  of  the  world 
declares,  "  I  will  send  unto  you  another  Comforter, 
even  the  Spirit  of  truth ; — he  shall  lead  you  into  all 

Duty  of  Man.  ^ 


146 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


truth.  It  is  written,  all  his  children  shall  be  taught  of 
God.” 

Do  you,  therefore,  painfully  feel  your  ignorance  in 
the  things  of  God  1  Do  you  bewail  the  dulness  of  your 
inte  lectual  faculties  to  apprehend  spiritual  objects  1 
Are  you  grieved  to  find  so  much  weariness  in  fixing 
youi  attention  upon  the  Bible,  when  you  behold  that  in¬ 
valuable  book!  Behold  your  relief  and  remedy!  See 
with  joy  what  a  foundation  there  is  for  your  depend¬ 
ence  on  Jesus  Christ  to  be  taught  all  you  need  to  under¬ 
stand.  When  you  hear  this  representation  of  his  cha¬ 
racter,  that  he  left  the  bosom  of  his  Father  to  declare 
him  unto  us ;  when  you  hear  that  for  this  purpose  he 
has  not  only  given  to  his  church  his  written  word  to 
point  out  the  way  of  life  ;  but  has  also  promised  to 
give  it  efficacy  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  can 
you  wish  for  morel  Are  you  grieved  that  you  know 
God  no  better,  are  you  athirst  for  instruction  in  righ¬ 
teousness  1  What  can  induce  you  to  make  application 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  if  this  encouragement  from 
St.  John  failsl  "We  know,”  says  he,  "that  the  Son 
of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  understanding 
that  we  may  know  him  that  is  true.”  1  John,  5  :  20.  He 
has  given  us  not  only  that  intellectual  faculty  which  dis 
tinguishes  us  from  the  animal  world,  for  this  was  ever 
common  to  all  men ;  he  has  given  us  not  only  the  ex¬ 
ternal  revelation  which  false  pretenders  to  the  faith 
have  as  well  as  ourselves ;  but  he  has  given  us  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of 
God  :  a  gift  confined  to  those  alone  who  depend  upon 
Jesus  as  the  truth  and  the  life.  Are  you  then  crying 
out  in  that  humble  manner  which  your  necessitous  con¬ 
dition  requires :  '  0 !  that  God  would  show  me  the  se¬ 
crets  of  wisdom:  what  I  know  not,  teach  thou  me.1 
Fou  see  on  whom  your  help  is  laid :  you  see  in  this 
case  your  application  to  Christ  must  be  daily  and  per- 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


147 


severing.  It  is  he  only  who  can  say,  "  Counsel  is  mine, 
and  sound  wisdom ;  I  am  understanding,  I  have  strength.” 
When  blind  Bartimeus  cried,  Jesus, -thou  Son  of  David, 
have  mercy  on  me,  that  I  may  receive  my  sight  $”  they 
that  stood  by  said,  "  Be  of  good  comfort,  rise ;  he  call- 
eth  thee.”  Mark,  10  :  49.  The  same  compassionate  call  is 
addressed  to  you  from  Jesus  enthroned  in  glory.  "  I 
counsel  thee,”  says  he  to  every  one  in  whose  mind 
darkness  and  ignorance  prevail,  "to  anoint  thine  eyes 
with  eye-salve,”  that  is,  to  apply  to  my  word  and  Spirit, 
"  that  thou  mayest  see  ;”  that  thy  understanding  may 
be  enlightened,  that  thou  mayst  be  filled  with  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  God,  and  have  a  right  judgment  in  all  things 
Further:  As  you  stand  in  need  of  wisdom  and  teach¬ 
ing,  that  you  may  know  the  truth  of  God,  so  you  in  the 
same  degree  want  light  to  discover  and  baffle  the  de¬ 
vices  of  the  devil.  To  whom  then  should  you  go  to 
obtain  such  light  but  unto  Jesus,  before  whom  we  are 
assured  all  things  are  open  and  naked,  even  the  deepest 
counsels  of  the  destroyer,  and  all  his  snares  of  cruelty  1 
Jesus  knows  how,  with  equal  ease  and  certainty,  to  con¬ 
found  his  numberless  contrivances,  and  infatuate  even 
the  spirit  of  all  subtilty  and  malice.  For  this  reason  the 
very  first  name  given  to  the  Redeemer  was  this ;  The 
Bruiser  of  the  serpent’s  head.  He  is  the  glorious  De¬ 
liverer,  who  came  to  ruin  his  schemes,  and  disappoint 
his  contrivances  to  hurt  and  destroy  the  faithful.  Hence 
it  must  follow  that  Jesus  knows  how  to  deliver  the 
godly  out  of  every  temptation,  and  to  preserve  them 
unto  his  own  kingdom.  Who  then,  if  not  this  all-suffi¬ 
cient  Person,  is  worthy  to  be  relied  on  with  unshaken 
confidence  by  the  children  of  ignorance  and  blindness. 


COMPLETE  DUI*  6 F  MAN. 


H8 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


FJ11T1S  IJY  CMRSST.— continued. 


IliE  FOUNDATION  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  CHRIST  FOR  VICTORY 

OVER  SIN. 

We  have  considered  the  fulness  of  help  which  is  laid 
up  in  Christ  for  man,  as  subject  to  the  curse  of  the  law 
and  blindness  of  understanding  ;  but  a  further  exertion 
of  divine  power  is  absolutely  necessary  to  make  him 
partaker  of  complete  salvation.  Man  is  naturally  a  slave 
to  earthly,  sensual  and  devilish  tempers.  Covetousness 
or  lewdness,  envy  or  pride,  command  in  his  heart  as  on 
their  throne.  When  indeed  their  dominion  is  manifest¬ 
ed  by  shame,  loss,  or  inward  vexation  of  mind,  their 
natural  and  necessary  effects,  he  wishes  himself  free : 
he  determines,  confident  of  his  own  strength,  no  more 
to  be  overcome.  But  behold !  the  very  next  temptation 
adapted  to  stir  up  the  evil  which  is  in  him,  as  easily 
prevails  as  did  the  former;  so  that  soon  disheartened 
by  such  repeated  foils,  and  ashamed  to  confess  his  own 
vileness,  ho  gives  up  the  all-important  contest,  and  be¬ 
gins  to  palliate  that  ignominious  slavery,  from  which 
he  knows  not  how  to  be  delivered. 

Now  observation  concurs  with  Scripture  to  prove 
that  superiority  of  wit,  or  an  extraordinary  share  of 
natural  abilities,  though  even  improved  by  the  advan¬ 
tages  of  polite  education,  do  not  enable  men  to  stand 
before  the  power  of  their  corrupted  nature  any  more 
than  savage  ignorance :  they  can  only  gild  those 
shackles  which  they  cannot  burst  asunder,  and  slightly 


FAITII  IN  CHRIST. 


149 


conceal  from  the  stranger’s  superficial  eye  what  still 
defiles  and  galls  the  inner  man. 

This  spiritual  bondage  must  always  become  exceed- 
ingly  grievous  to  endure,  wherever  there  is  a  right 
judgment  of  God  and  the  nature  of  sin.  Then  will  there 
be  an  earnest  desire  to  obtain  deliverance  at  the  hands 
of  one  "  Mighty  to  save  ”  from  such  tyrannical  oppres¬ 
sion.  For  this  deliverance  God  commands  us  to  depend 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  to  engage  our  utmost 
confidence,  such  a  full  display  of  his  power  is  laid  be¬ 
fore  us,  as  makes  the  suspicion  of  miscarriage  to  the 
last  degree  unreasonable.  The  ancient  prophets,  de 
daring  the  extent  and  irresistible  force  of  his  govern 
ment,  call  him,  "  The  Lord  of  hosts,  the  Lord  mighty 
in  battle  ;  whose  throne  is  heaven,  and  whose  footstool 
is  earth ;  who  has  the  light  for  his  garment,  the  clouds 
for  his  chariot,  the  thunder  for  his  voice,  and  all  the 
legions  of  angels  for  his  servants.” 

And  lest  the  humiliation  of  the  Redeemer  should  di¬ 
minish  our  conceptions  of  his  power  to  save,  the  glory 
he  manifested  in  the  days  of  his  flesh  is  most  particularly 
related.  Innumerable  multitudes  of  the  wretched  and 
diseased  crowded  round  his  divine  person,  and  instant¬ 
ly  by  him  they  were  made  whole.  The  dumb,  the  deaf, 
the  lame,  the  blind,  the  dead,  were  all  restored  by  his 
divine  power  to  the  blessing  of  life,  or  to  the  enjoyment 
of  all  their  faculties.  His  authority  over  the  whole  crea¬ 
tion  is  marked  in  the  strongest  colors.  For  though  the 
winds  and  storms  are  mighty,  yet  Jesus,  in  his  low  es¬ 
tate,  only  rebuked  them,  and  they  were  hushed  in  silence. 
The  waves  of  the  sea  raged  horribly,  yet  at  his  word  they 
sank  into  a  perfect  calm.  Death  and  the  grave,  though 
inexorable  to,  and  invincible  by  mortals,  were  not  able 
for  a  moment  to  detain  their  prey  when  Jesus  only 
spake,  "  Lazarus,  come  forth.”  The  powers  of  dark¬ 
ness,  and  the  strength  of  hell, — though  mightier  far 


150 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


than  diseases,  storms  or  death, — crouch  before  him, 
and  entreat  his  favor,  as  their  irresistible,  though  of¬ 
fended,  Lord  and  Sovereign. 

For  the  greater  encouragement  of  our  faith  and  hope 
in  Jesus,  as  a  complete  deliverer,  through  his  Spirit, 
from  the  tyranny  of  our  sinful  tempers,  think  of  the 
illustrations  of  his  saving  power  that  Jesus  exhibited 
when  on  earth.  Publicans,  accounted  the  worst  of  men, 
and  harlots,  the  worst  of  women ;  these  he  delivered 
from  the  captivity  of  their  lusts  :  and  by  these  instances 
proclaimed  that  none  can  be  so  enslaved  by  sin,  but  he 
can  make  them  free  indeed.  And  to  demonstrate  this 
most  transporting  truth,  which  he  preached  with  his 
own  mouth,  and  confirmed  by  numerous  instances  dur¬ 
ing  his  ministry;  at  the  very  hour  of  his  death  he  still 
more  gloriously  displayed  the  same  almighty  power,  to 
destroy  the  dominion  of  sin  in  one  of  the  most  hopeless 
instances  of  its  strength.  Behold  Jesus  hanging  on  the 
cross ;  his  visage  lacerated  and  mangled,  his  body  co¬ 
vered  with  marks  of  scorn,  swelled  with  strokes  of  vio¬ 
lence,  bedewed  from  head  to  foot  with  bloody  gore ;  be¬ 
hold  him  even  in  this  condition  exert  the  most  astonish¬ 
ing  act  of  power  we  or  angels  can  conceive ;  hear  him 
say  to  the  thief, — who  made  his  prayer  to  him,  and 
placed  his  whole  dependence  upon  him, — hear  him  say, 
"  This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise  "  I  will 
carry  thee  up  with  me  into  heaven,  as  a  trophy  of  my 
victory  over  Satan,  and  will  show  thee  there  as  part  of 
the  spoils  that  shall  adorn  my  triumphs  over  hell.”  He 
snatches  this  abandoned  sinner  from  the  brink  of  de¬ 
struction,  as  an  earnest  of  the  full  recovery  of  all  who 
should  ever  trust  in  him  ;  saves  one  that  seemed  not 
only  void  of  grace,  but  beyond  its  power  ;  and  sanctifies 
that  heart  in  an  instant,  which  had  probably  been  for  a 
long  course  wallowing  in  sin. 

In  all  these  victories  we  may  conceive  the  Redeemer 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


151 


to  have  acted  with  this  double  view  ;  that  he  might  fully 
establish  his  title  to  the  character  of  the  Messiah,  as 
described  in  the  Old  Testament ;  and  that  he  might  lay 
at  the  same  time  a  sure  foundation  for  his  church  to 
trust  on  the  might  of  his  holy  arm,  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 

If  it  is  said  the  Bedeemer’s  death  and  buria.  in  the 
grave  indicate  his  weakness ;  it  is  answered,  that  Jesus 
entered  the  grave  not  merely  as  a  subject,  but  as  an  in¬ 
vader  and  conqueror.  He  stripped  the  king  of  terrors 
of  his  dominion,  and  rising  on  the  third  day,  triumphed 
openly  as  "The  resurrection  and  the  life j — in  whom 
whosoever  believeth  shall  never  die.”  The  language  of 
his  resurrection  was  full  of  power;  it  confirmed  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  "Thy  dead  men  shall  live,  to¬ 
gether  with  my  dead  body  shall  they  arise. — Awake, 
and  sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  dust :  for  thy  dew  is  as  the 
dew  of  herbs,  and  the  earth  shall  cast  out  the  dead.” 
Isaiah,  26  :  19. 

But  if  these  acts  demonstrate  the  power  of  Jesus,  and 
present  him  before  our  eyes  as  an  object  every  way 
able  to  answer  the  dependence  which  we  place  on  him 
for  deliverance  from  the  power  of  sin ;  how  much  more 
is  the  ground  of  this  dependence  strengthened  by  the 
declarations ,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  of  his 
sufficiency  for  this  work  !  Hear  how  every  doubt  is  ob¬ 
viated,  and  all  despondency  graciously  reproved  :  "  Say 
to  them  that  are  of  a  fearful  heart,  Be  strong,  fear  not : 
behold,  your  God  will  come  with  vengeance,  even  God 
with  a  recompense  ;  he  will  come,  and  save  you.”  Isaiah, 
35  :  4.  "  Behold,  the  Lord  God  will  come  with  a  strong 
hand,  and  his  arm  shall  rule  for  him  :  behold,  his  re¬ 
ward  is  with  him,  and  his  work  before  him.  He  shall 
feed  his  flock  like  a  shepherd :  he  shall  gather  the  lambs 
with  his  arm,  and  carry-them  in  his  bosom,  and  shall 
gently  lead  those  that  are  with  young.”  Isaiah,  40  :  10, 


152 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


11.  "He  shall  bring  forth  judgment  unto  truth,”  that 
is,  shall  make  all  his  dependents  finally  to  triumph  ovei 
sin  and  Satan.  "  I  have  given  him,”  saith  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  "  for  a  leader  and  commander  to  the  people  j”  "  to 
preach  deliverance  to  the  captives.”  By  the  prophet 
Malachi  we  are  assured,  "  He  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and 
purifier  of  silver  ; — and  purge  them,”  that  is,  his  faithful 
people,  "  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may  offer  unto 
the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness.”  Mai.  3  :  3.  St. 
Peter  confirms  these  glorious  declarations  by  proclaim¬ 
ing  to  all  the  Jews,  enslaved  and  abandoned  to  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  wickedness  as  they  were,  that  God  having  raised 
up  his  Son  Jesus,  had  sent  him  to  bless  them,  by  turn¬ 
ing  every  one  of  them  from  their  iniquities. 

St.  Paul  teaches  us,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  his 
character  and  capacity  of  Mediator,  is  invested  with  ab¬ 
solute  dominion ;  that  he  reigns  as  a  rightful  conqueror 
over  all  his  enemies  :  that  he  is  a  horn  of  salvation  to 
those  that  trust  in  his  name :  that  he  sits  on  a  throne  of 
glory  till  all  opposition  to  his  people  and  himself  cease, 
and  is  utterly  destroyed.  For  in  this  most  encouraging 
light  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power  to  save  is  re¬ 
presented,  when  it  is  said,  God  hath  "  raised  him  from 
the  dead,  and  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  heavenly 
places,  far  above  all  principality,  and  power,  and  might, 
and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only 
in  this  world,  but  in  that  which  is  to  come ;  and  hath 
put  all  things  under  his  feet,  and  given  him  to  be  the 
head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  which  is  his  body, 
the  fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all.”  Eph.  1 :  20-23. 

Magnify  then  as  you  please,  the  number  and  strength 
of  temptations,  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  the  pow¬ 
er  of  confirmed  ill  habits,  and  the  efforts  of  Satan ;  still 
what  are  all  these,  even  though  united,  before  Him 
"  who  gave  himself  to  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
to  purify  to  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 


FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 


153 


works'!”  What,  before  him  whose  kingly  office  it  is  to 
turn  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Sa¬ 
tan  unto  God,  and  whose  infinite  bounty  enriches  the 
fallen  soul  with  that  holiness  which  makes  it  meet  for 
heaven  1  Who,  or  what,  are  these  spiritual  tyrants, 
avarice  or  uncleanness,  envy  or  malice,  deceit  or  un¬ 
belief — by  whom  strengthened,  and  by  whom  abetted — 
that  they  should  defy  Him,  who  hath  all  power  in  heaven 
and  earth  to  save  from  sin  1 — Him,  out  of  whose  over¬ 
flowing  fulness  all  the  angels  in  heaven,  and  all  the 
saints  whilst  on  earth,  receive  their  sanctification,  and 
the  spotless  purity  they  will  share  with  him  through  all 
eternity!  If  one  person,  relying  with  humility  and  per¬ 
severance  on  the  power  of  Jesus,  should  perish,  unsuc¬ 
cored,  and  in  his  sins ;  how  would  the  promises  of 
God  concerning  the  kingly  offices  of  his  Son  be  true  1 
How  could  Jesus  answer  the  character  given  of  him  in 
the  record  of  God  I  One  of  these  alternatives  must 
therefore  be  maintained  :  either  that  the  character  and 
office  of  Jesus  are  misrepresented  in  the  Scriptures ;  or 
else,  that  whoever  puts  his  trust  in  his  power  to  save, 
shall  have  the  victory  over  sin.  The  stubbornness  of  his 
will  shall  be  brought  to  yield,  his  evil  tempers  shall  be 
subdued,  and  he  shall  be  preserved  blameless  in  spirit, 
soul  and  body. 

What  has  been  said  is  sufficient  to  prove,  that  we 
have  all  possible  encouragement  to  trust  in  Jesus  the 
Redeemer  for  wisdom,  righteousness  and  strength.  The 
only  knowledge  concerning  his  character  which  is  far¬ 
ther  necessary,  is  of  his  mercy  towards  sinners:  now, 
as  is  his  majesty,  so  is  his  mercy;  and  he  is  as  ready 
as  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  to 
God  by  him.  On  this  head  what  stronger  testimonies 
can  the  most  jealous  suspicion  desire,  than  he  has  given 
to  us  I 

What  means  his  deep  humiliation  1  his  pleadings 


1 54* 


COMILETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


with  careless  and  obstinate  sinners  by  day,  and  his 
midnight  importunities  with  his  heavenly  Father  for 
them/  What  mean  his  kind  invitations:  "Ho!  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink : — 
whoever  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out 
What  can  be  the  design  of  these  tender  expressions, 
but  to  assure  us  of  his  willingness  to  receive  with  mer- 
cy  those  sinners,  whatever  they  might  have  been  in 
time  past,  who  commit  their  souls  unto  him  1  What  was 
it,  tell  me,  if  it  was  not  fervent  love,  that  made  him  so 
long  endure  a  condition  in  all  respects  so  amazingly 
opposite  to  his  original  glory  1 — Instead  of  hallelujahs 
from  the  sweet  tongues  of  angels,  to  hear  the  blasphe¬ 
mous  revilings  of  men  cast  on  himself  and  all  his  ac¬ 
tions :  instead  of  the  perfection  of  joy,  to  endure  such 
sufferings  that  his  heart  in  the  midst  of  his  body  was 
even  "  like  melting  wax,” — through  the  intenseness  of 
the  anguish  that  was  upon  him :  instead  of  adoration 
from  myriads  of  ministering  spirits,  to  bear  mockery 
and  buffetings,  the  bloody  scourge  on  his  back,  and  on 
his  face  the  nauseous  spittle  :  instead  of  sitting  on  the 
throne  high  and  lifted  up,  with  the  whole  host  of  hea¬ 
ven  worshipping  him,  saying,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the 
Lord  of  hosts,  heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  thy  glory;” 
to  hang  upon  a  cross  between  two  thieves,  in  the  midst 
of  insulting  shouts  and  the  frowns  of  eternal  justice  ! 

O !  come  hither,  behold  and  see  if  there  was  ever 
love  like  this !  Come  and  hear  the  voice  which  he  ut¬ 
tered  in  the  height  of  all  his  sufferings  for  his  mur¬ 
derers ;  "Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do.”  Hear,  and  if  you  can,  doubt ;  if  it  be  possible, 
question  his  willingness  to  save  those  who  depend  upon 
him ;  his  willingness,  who  prayed  even  for  his  bitterest 
enemies. 

In  the  last  place,  we  may  as  firmly  confide  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  eternal  salvation ,  as  for  present 


FAITH  IN  CUEIST. 


155 


4 

pardon,  wisdom,  righteousness  and  strength.  His  do¬ 
minion  equally  extends  over  the  world  in  which  we 
dwell,  and  over  that  into  which  we  shall  enter  after 
death:  "Fear  not,”  he  says,  "  I  am  the  first  and  the 
last,  I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead  ;  and  behold,  I  am 
alive  for  evermore,  Amen;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and 
of  death,”  or  the  grave.  It  is  he  who  hath  overcome 
him  who  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is  the  devil ;  and 
has  made  his  triumphant  entry  before  all,  and  for  all 
who  depend  upon  him ;  it  is  he  who  bids  us  trust  in 
him,  and  not  be  afraid.  Hear  with  what  affection  and 
endearment  he  comforts  his  apostles  and  all  who  should 
ever  possess  like  precious  faith  with  them  in  his  name; 
"  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you ;  and  if  I  go  and  pre¬ 
pare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you 
unto  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.” 
And  in  his  prayer  for  the  salvation  of  all  who  should 
believe  in  him,  he  saith,  "  Father,  I  will  that  they  also, 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am  ;  that 
they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me.” 

With  what  well-grounded  comfort  then,  and  with 
what  abounding  hope  are  you  warranted  to  trust  in  the 
Redeemer,  both  in  life  and  in  death !  And  after  having 
exercised  continual  faith  in  him,  as  a  Savior  from  the 
guilt,  defilement  and  strength  of  sin,  from  ignorance, 
and  from  all  the  enemies  of  your  soul ;  how  reasonably 
at  the  end  of  life  may  you  copy  the  pattern  of  the 
first  martyr  to  the  Christian  truth,  and  beholding  by 
faith  the  object  that  was  manifested  to  him,  without 
a  veil,  say  with  your  expiring  breath,  "  Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit.” 


156 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


¥ 

CHAPTER  XV.  . 

Till  M  O  JL  !’  SPIRIT. 


HIS  DIVINITY. 

The  work  of  man’s  salvation  is  represented  in  Scrip¬ 
ture  as  engaging  the  joint  agency  of  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Spirit.  God  the  Father  in  infinite  wisdom 
planned  this  amazing  scheme,  and  provided  himself  a 
lamb  for  a  burnt-offering,  a  sacrifice  to  purge  away  sin. 
God  the  Son  executed  in  his  own  person  this  plan,  by 
submitting  to  be  delivered  for  our  offences,  by  rising 
again  for  our  justification,  and  by  interceding  for  us  in 
heaven.  God  the  Holy  Ghost  procures  an  effectual  re¬ 
ception  of  this  scheme  of  salvation,  and  sanctifies  the 
soul  for  the  everlasting  happiness  in  which  that  salva¬ 
tion  finally  issues. 

Each  of  these  persons  who  thus  co-operate  in  man’s 
salvation,  must  of  necessity  be  really  God,  because  no 
inferior  being  could  execute  any  part  of  this  grand 
scheme  pertaining  to  the  soul.  Who,  for  instance,  be¬ 
sides  the  supreme  Lawgiver  himself,  could  admit  an  in¬ 
nocent  substitute  to  become  surety  for  a  criminal,  and 
bear  his  curse  1  or  who,  beneath  the  dignity  of  G  od, 
could  have  merit  sufficient,  by  suffering,  to  atone  for 
offences  against  the  Majesty  of  heaven  and  earth  1  or 
to  whom,  besides  God,  doth  the  power,  greater  than 
that  of  creation,  belong,  of  triumphing  over  our  rebel¬ 
lious  wills,  and  bringing  them  into  captivity  to  the  obe 
dience  of  Christ  1 

Now  if  the  holy  Scripture  be  full  and  clear  in  certify 
ing  the  influence  and  interposition  of  each  person  in 


DIVINITY  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


157 


the  blessed  Trinity  in  the  work  of  man’s  salvation,  it 
must  of  necessity  be  the  duty  of  a  Christian  to  pay  due 
attention  to  it,  and  to  endeavor  by  devout  meditation  to 
impress  upon  his  mind  what  God  has  revealed  on  this 
subject:  revealed,  not  at  all  to  teach  us  how  the  Father, 
Son  and  Spirit  are  three  persons  in  one  eternal  God¬ 
head,  (for  this  it  never  attempts,)  but  to  inform  us  of 
our  obligations  to  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  j  and  to  teach  us  to  live  in  such  an  entire  confi¬ 
dence  in  the  mercy  of  God,  and  such  devotedness  to 
his  service,  as  the  knowledge  of  this  most  sublime  and 
mysterious  truth  is  designed  to  produce. 

The  Scripture  character  of  God  the  Father  has  been 
already  considered  at  large  $  and  also  that  of  God  the 
Son,  as  he  is  proposed  to  us  in  his  mediatorial  office  : 
it  shall  be  our  business,  therefore,  now  to  lay  before 
you  in  one  view  what  the  Scripture  teaches  of  the  na¬ 
ture,  person  and  office  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  may  he 
himself,  who  is  the  Spirit  of  truth,  give  us  to  understand 
the  things  which  belong  to  his  glory ! 

First,  with  respect  to  the  nature  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  he  is  God ,  the  same  in  essence  with  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  is  proved  from  Scripture  in  this  plain  and  con¬ 
vincing  manner.  All  the  perfections  of  the  Godhead  are 
ascribed  to  him.  Now  by  what  is  the  distinct  essence 
of  any  being  determined  but  by  its  properties  1  Thus 
he  who  possesses  the  properties  peculiar  to  a  man,  is 
on  that  very  account  esteemed  one  :  by  consequence, 
he  who  possesses  the  perfections  peculiar  to  God,  must 
on  that  account  be  worshipped  as  God. 

The  Scripture,  then,  declares  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  a 
holy,  eternal,  infinite,  almighty  being.  Holy,  for  in  re¬ 
ference  to  his  peculiar  office  of  imparting  holiness,  and 
in  exclusion  of  all  creatures,  he  is  called  "  the  Holy 
Spirit.”  Eph.  4  :  30.  Eternal,  that  is,  existing  before  all 
ages,  no  less  than  in  them  all ;  thus  the  blood  of  Jesus, 


158 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


we  are  told,  was  offered  under  his  influence,  by  the  name 
of  "  the  Eternal  Spirit.”  A  title  this,  which  is  never 
ascribed  to  any  but  God  himself:  for  though  angels 
have  existed  so  many  ages  before  our  world,  and  will 
never  cease  to  be,  yet  we  no  where  read  of  an  eternal 
angel.  Infinite,  for  "he  searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the 
deep  things  of  God.”  1  Cor.  2  :  10.  Almighty,  because 
at  the  creation  of  the  world  the  Spirit,  we  are  assured, 
moved  upon  the  waters ;  by  his  operation  and  influence 
on  the  chaos  he  formed  it  into  order  and  beauty ;  and 
from  his  energy  the  world  is,  as  it  were,  created  anew 
day  by  day:  "Thou  sendest  forth  thy  Spirit,  they  are 
created:  and  thou  renewest  the  face  of  the  earth” 
Psalm  104  :  30. 

In  the  dispensation  of  grace  also  the  almighty  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  no  less  conspicuous  than  in  the 
natural  world.  The  humanity  of  the  Lord  Jesus  was 
formed  by  his  overshadowing  with  his  influence  the 
blessed  Virgin.  By  him  Jesus  was  sent  to  preach  the 
Gospel  and  discharge  his  ministry :  by  him  carried  into 
the  wilderness ;  and  anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness 
above  all  kings  and  priests  that  had  been,  or  ever  should 
be.  In  a  word,  in  all  that  Jesus  did  on  earth  as  our 
Mediator,  he  was  both  appointed  and  supported,  we  are 
expressly  taught,  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  can  you  re¬ 
quire  a  more  complete  proof  than  this  of  the  Godhead 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  1  Jesus,  as  Mediator,  had  a  name 
given  him  which  is  above  every  name ;  to  such  a  high 
degree  above  every  other  name,  that  all  in  earth  and 
heaven  must  bow  their  knee  before  him ;  and  yet,  con¬ 
sidered  as  Mediator ,  he  is  still  inferior  to  the  Holy  Spi¬ 
rit,  because  he  was  consecrated  and  enabled  by  him  to 
discharge  that  very  office.  But  since  nothing  in  earth 
or  in  heaven  is  in  dignity  above  the  Mediator,  but  God 
alone,  it  plainly  follows  that  the  Holy  Spirit  must  be 
God,  of  one  and  the  same  essence  with  the  Father,  as 


DIVINITY  OF  TIIE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


159 


tne  Scripture  teaches,  and  as  the  Christian  church  has 
ever  believed. 

The  Holy  Ghost  performs  works  proper  to  God:  of 
this  nature  is  the  renovation  and  sanctification  of  the 
soul.  Even  the  conversion  of  those  most  abandoned 
sinners  at  Corinth,  in  the  time  of  St.  Paul,  is  ascribed 
to  this  divine  agent :  "  Such  were  some  of  you :  but  ye 
are  washed,  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but  ye  are  justified  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our 
God.”  1  Cor.  6  :  11. 

It  was  the  Holy  Ghost  who  endued  the  apostles  with 
their  miraculous  powers,  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  published  its  laws.  He  separated 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  appointed  their  mission  to  this 
rather  than  to  that  place,  which  is  the  prerogative  of 
the  supreme  Director.  A  dispensation  of  such  infinite 
moment  belongs  properly  to  God ;  and,  of  all  others,  is 
apparently  the  least  communicable  to  a  creature.  And 
in  the  consummation  of  all  things  the  Spirit  will  work 
a  work  altogether  divine,  the  master-piece  of  all  he  has 
done.  It  will  be  a  full  demonstration  of  such  power  as 
can  belong  to  none  but  God.  He  will  bring  back  the 
bodies  of  the  faithful  from  the  dust,  and  clothe  them 
with  glory  and  immortality:  for,  "  if  the  Spirit  of  him 
that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you,  he  that 
raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your 
mortal  bodies  by  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you.” 
Rom.  8:11. 

Secondly.  The  Holy  Spirit  must  be  the  same  in  essence 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  because  the  honor  and 
worship  due  only  to  the  true  God,  are  given  to  him. 
This  worship  and  glory,  of  which  God  declares  himself 
to  be  jealous,  and  which  he  will  not  give  to  another, 
consists  in  swearing  by  him ;  and  in  making  appeals  to 
him  touching  the  sincerity  of  what  we  affirm ;  accord¬ 
ing  to  that  command  which  God  has  himself  given  in 


160 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


this  matter,  "  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  swear  by  his  name.”  It  consists  also  in  making 
him  the  only  object  of  our  faith,  hope,  and  obedience  : 
for,  ”  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Cursed  be  the  man  that 
trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh  flesh  his  arm.”  Jer.  17  :  5. 
God  only  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  fountain  of  benedic¬ 
tion  and  grace;  he  alone  is  to  be  implored  for  the  con¬ 
tinuance  of  both ;  he  is  to  be  supremely  obeyed  as  the 
only  one  whom  we  must  fear  to  offend.  The  principal 
end  of  divine  worship  is  thus  to  ascribe  unto  God  the 
honor  due  unto  his  name.  But  we  meet  with  instances 
in  holy  Scripture  where  all  these  particular  acts  of  su¬ 
preme  adoration  are  paid  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  Thus  St. 
Paul  swears  by  him,  and  appeals  to  him  as  a  witness 
of  the  sincerity  of  his  good  will  towards  his  brethren 
the  Jews ;  ”  I  say  the  truth  in  Christ,  I  lie  not,  my  con¬ 
science  also  bearing  me  witness  in  the  Holy  Ghost.” 
Thus  the  Spirit  is  proposed  as  the  object  of  our  faith, 
hope,  and  obedience,  equally  with  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  When  we  are  baptized  into  each  of  their  names, 
we  entirely  surrender  ourselves  in  faith  and  obedience 
to  this  sacred  Trinity.  He  is  implored  also,  together 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  as  the  fountain  and  author 
of  all  the  blessings  and  graces  of  the  Gospel.  The 
church  of  Christ,  from  the  beginning,  has  ever  conclud¬ 
ed  her  public  and  solemn  worship  of  God  with  this 
prayer :  ”  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you 
all.”  We  are  commanded  to  dread  offending  him;  we 
are  assured  that  whoever  blasphemes  his  honor  is  ac¬ 
counted  guilty  of  a  crime  of  the  deepest  dye :  "  All 
manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
men  :  but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men.  And  whosoever  speaketh  a 
word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him ; 
but  whosoever  speaketh  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall 


\ 


DIVINITY  OF  TIIE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


161 


not  be  forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in 
the  world  to  come.”  Matt.  12  :  31,  32. 

Thirdly.  The  same  infinite  glory  which  is  ascribed  to 
God,  and  the  same  self-abasement  of  men  and  angels 
which  is  exercised  under  a  sense  of  his  immediate  pre¬ 
sence,  are  ascribed  also  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  exer¬ 
cised  before  his  adorable  presence  j  and  therefore  he 
must  be  God.  Can  you  find  any  description  of  the 
glory  of  God  more  grand  and  striking  than  the  vision 
of  Isaiah,  related  in  the  sixth  chapter  1  The  prophet 
"  saw  the  Lord,”  we  are  told,  "  sitting  upon  a  throne, 
high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple. 
Above  it  stood  the  seraphim  :  each  one  had  six  wings ; 
and  with  twain  he  covered  his  face,  with  twain  he 
covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly.  And  one 
cried  unto  another,  and  said,  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the 
Lord  of  hosts ;  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory. 
Then  said  I,  Wo  is  me!  for  I  am  undone  ;  because  I 
am  a  man  of  unclean  lips.”  To  prove  that  the  angels 
were  paying  adoration  to  the  Trinity  in  unity,  I  shall 
not  insist  upon  the  repetition  of  the  epithet  "Holy” 
three  times ;  because  it  sufficiently  appears  from  com¬ 
paring  this  Scripture  with  the  inspired  declarations 
of  the  apostles.  As  to  God  the  Father,  none  dispute 
that  the  worship  might  be  justly  addressed  to  him. 
With  respect  to  the  Son,  our  Lord  directly  avows 
that  Isaiah  spoke  these  things  when  he  saw  his  glory. 
John,  12  :  41.  That  the  Spirit  was  comprehended  in 
this  object  of  the  adoration  of  heaven,  is  evident 
from  hence,  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  who  at  this  very 
time  spoke  to  the  prophet,  is  expressly  declared  by  St. 
Paul,  Acts,  28  :  25,  to  have  been  the  Holy  Spirit  him¬ 
self  :  "  Well  spake  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Esaias  the  prophet 
unto  our  fathers,  saying,  Go  unto  this  people  and  say, 
Hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  not  understand,”  &c. 

Fourthly.  The  Spirit  is  exalted  above  the  rank  of  crea - 


162 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


hires}  he  must  therefore  be  God,  since  there  is  no  mid- 
die  state  betwixt  the  Creator  and  the  creature.  That  he 
is  exalted  above  the  rank  of  creatures  is  evident,  be¬ 
cause  he  is  never  spoken  of,  or  represented,  as  a  wor¬ 
shipper  of  God.  The  relation  of  all  creatures  to  God, 
and  their  dependence  upon  him,  are  necessary  obliga¬ 
tions,  binding  them  to  do  him  homage.  And  the  more 
excellent  their  endowments  are,  and  the  higher  their 
obligations  rise,  the  more  prompt  and  active  will  they 
be  in  ascribing  to  God  the  honor  due  unto  him.  Ac¬ 
cordingly  the  Scripture  frequently  represents  the  whole 
creation  by  a  figure, — and  angels  and  men,  in  a  proper 
sense, — as  employed  in  ceaseless  praises  and  adoration 
of  God.  But  whence  comes  it,  if  the  Spirit  also  is  o 
creature,  that  no  mention  is  made  of  him  by  the  sacred 
writers  as  a  worshipper  of  God  1  Is  it  not  strange,  in¬ 
deed,  that  these  inspired  men  should  have  forgotten 
that  Spirit,  which,  if  he  is  a  creature,  should  have  led 
this  concert  of  praise,  and  been  the  principal  person  in 
it  1  Was  it  not  highly  needful  to  make  mention  of  Him, 
in  order  to  prevent  error  and  idolatrous  worship  !  Thp 
total  silence  therefore  of  the  oracles  of  God  in  this  im¬ 
portant  matter,  is  a  strong  evidence  that  the  prophets, 
the  apostles,  and  Jesus  Christ,  considered  not  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  a  creature,  but  as  God,  with  the  Father  and 
the  Son. 

Fifthly.  Lest  it  should  be  said  that  the  Spirit  is  no 
more  than  a  quality  in  God,  which  cannot  subsist,  or  be 
distinguished  as  a  person  in  the  Godhead,  he  has  a  name 
given  to  him,  significant  at  once  both  of  his  essence 
and  energy.  The  term  Holy  Spirit  implies  both  that  his 
essence  is  spiritual,  and  also  that  in  the  dispensation  of 
grace  it  is  his  energy  which  produces  holiness  in  the 
soul.  Now  as  the  spirit  within  a  man,  by  which  he  ob¬ 
serves  his  own  thoughts,  is  not  a  quality,  but  something 
really  distinct  from  his  body  and  from  his  thoughts :  so 


DIVINITY  OF  THE  HOLY  SFIRIT. 


163 


this  Spirit,  which  knows  the  thoughts  of  God,  which 
even  "  searches  the  deep  things  of  God,”  must  be  a 
person  distinct  from  the  Father,  who  is  thus  known 
by  him. 

He  has  also  personal  actions  ascribed  to  him  ;  ”  He 
shall  not  speak  of  himself,  but  what  he  has  heard  that 
shall  he  speak  ;”  He  rejoices  and  is  grieved ;  he  ap¬ 
proves  and  condemns  5  He*  convinces  the  world  of  sin, 
righteousness  and  judgment.  And  when  Peter  was  still 
doubtful  of  the  import  of  the  heavenly  vision  which  he 
had  seen,  "  The  Spirit  said  unto  him,  Behold,  three 
men  seek  thee.”  Acts,  10  :  19.  But  all  these  must  pass 
for  expressions  without  any  signification,  unless  they 
are  allowed  to  mark  out  the  distinct  personality  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

Thus  it  appears  from  this  summary  view  of  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  evidence,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  possessed  of  the 
essential  attributes  of  God ;  that  he  performs  the  works 
proper  to  God ;  that  he  receives  the  honor  due  unto 
God  alone ;  that  he  stands  exalted  above  the  rank  of 
creatures.  Shall  it  then  be  said,  after  all  this  proof, 
that  he  is  not  by  nature  God  with  the  Father  and  the 
Son  1  By  no  means.  These  Scripture  evidences,  con¬ 
sidered  each  apart,  forcibly  display  the  glory  and  God¬ 
head  of  the  Holy  Ghost  5  and,  united  together,  admit  of 
no  reply  but  such  cavils  as  pride  and  infidelity  are  never 
at  a  loss  to  make  against  the  plainest  truths.  They  are 
fully  sufficient  to  confirm  our  faith  in  the  article  of  the 
glory  and  Godhead  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  as  to  those 
who  will  contradict  and  blaspheme  on  account  of  the 
difficulties  which  occur  in  explaining  this  subject,  it 
must  be  observed,  that  all  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  re- 
velation,  as  well  as  this,  become  to  such,  matter  of  dis¬ 
pute  first,  and  then  are  rejected  because  incomprehen¬ 
sible  ;  till  at  length  God’s  blessed  system  of  truth,  which 
none  of  the  wise  men  of  this  world  knew,  is  reduced  to 


164 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


nothing  more  than  those  maxims  of  morality  which  the 
philosophers  of  old  delivered  without  the  help  of  reve¬ 
lation  ;  and  which  the  deists  now  oppose  to  it,  as  a  suf¬ 
ficient  guide  to  duty  and  happiness.  But  whether  this 
be  rationally  to  interpret  Scripture,  or  covertly  to  re¬ 
nounce  all  subjection  to  the  book  of  God,  judge  ye. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  HOElf  SI9 IHIT.— continued. 

HIS  OFFICE. 

It  is  not  enough  that  our  judgment  should  be  fully 
informed  concerning  the  personal  glory  and  divinity  of 
the  Holy  Ghost :  a  Christian  must  also  know  to  what 
great  purposes  that  infinite,  almighty,  eternal  Spirit, 
exercises  his  office  in  the  church  of  Christ,  and  in  what 
way  his  influences  are  exerted.  For  unless  we  have  a 
clear  and  distinct  knowledge  of  this,  we  can  never  as¬ 
cribe  to  the  Holy  Ghost  the  glory  of  his  own  work  in 
our  souls  on  the  one  hand ;  nor,  on  the  other,  be  se¬ 
cured  from  dangerous  delusion,  and  from  mistaking 
some  creature  of  a  brain-sick  imagination  for  the  work 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Both  these  evils  will  be  happily 
prevented  by  keeping  close  to  our  infallible  guide,  the 
Scripture ;  which  is  not  more  full  in  declaring  the  di¬ 
vinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  than  in  determining  precisely 
the  nature  and  the  effects  of  his  inestimable  influence 
To  him,  we  are  taught,  is  intrusted  the  arduous  work 
of  managing  the  cause  of  God  and  Christ  against  a  sin 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


165 


ful  world ,  and  of  making  it  triumphant  over  all  opposi¬ 
tion,  in  that  measure  which  seems  best  to  unerring  wis¬ 
dom.  By  the  secret,  yet  mighty  energy  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  religion  is  laid 
in  the  soul  of  the  believer;  by  him  maintained,  and  at 
length  completed.  The  foundation  of  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion,  as  the  term  imports,  is  a  knowledge  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  a  sincere  love  to  his  person.  Till  this 
knowledge  and  this  love  possess  your  soul,  though  you 
may  do  many  things  which  are  commanded  by  God,  and 
seem  by  profession  a  Christian,  you  still  want  the  root 
of  all  acceptable  obedience  in  your  heart ;  according  to 
that  express  declaration  from  Christ,  "  If  any  man  serve 
me,  him  will  my  Father  honor,”  John,  12 :  26,  which 
intimates  that  he  will  honor  no  one  beside.  But  if  you 
consider  the  account  given  in  Scripture  of  the  condition 
the  world  was  in  when  the  name  of  Jesus  was  first 
preached  in  it,  or  of  the  natural  blindness  of  man  in  all 
ages  to  the  truths  of  God,  ycu  will  acknowledge  that 
wherever  the  glory  of  Jesus  is  worthily  apprehended  and 
effectually  imprinted,  it  must  be  owing  to  the  interpo- 
si  ion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  his  influence  on  the  mind. 

That  true  and  worthy  conceptions  of  the  Redeemer, 
that  lively  and  lasting  impressions  of  his  excellency 
were  owing  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  men  were  first  call¬ 
ed  Christians ,  no  one  can  doubt.  At  that  time  to  enter¬ 
tain  becoming  thoughts,  and  to  feel  suitable  impressions 
of  the  Redeemer’s  glory,  was  directly  contrary  to  the 
united  force  of  inveterate  prejudice,  corrupt  education, 
and  every  view  of  worldly  interest.  For  the  illustration 
of  this  point,  suppose  yourself  an  inhabitant  either  of 
Jerusalem  or  of  Rome  at  the  time  when  Christ  was 
first  preached ;  when  Pharisaism  or  Sadducism  reigned 
throughout  the  one,  and  the  most  impure  idolatry,  pro¬ 
pagated  from  age  to  age,  triumphed  in  the  other ;  sup- 
nose  that  in  this  situation  you  had  heard  an  apostle  of 


Ib6  COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 

the  Lord  call  aloud  upon  you,  commanding  you  in  the 
name  of  God  to  confess  the  sinfulness  of  your  sin,  and 
to  flee  for  refuge  from  deserved  wrath  to  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  this  apostle,  instead  of  concealing  the  meanness  and 
weakness  in  which  Jesus  Christ  lived,  the  shame  and 
pain  in  which  he  died,  told  you  that  on  his  cross  he 
made  atonement  for  sin,  bought  you  with  the  price  of 
his  blood,  that  you  might  live  in  subjection  to  him  as 
your  Sovereign  Lord ;  that  he  possessed  irresistible 
power  to  save  or  to  destroy,  and  unsearchable  riches 
to  reward  and  bless  his  faithful  people ;  suppose  that  he 
concluded  with  a  most  solemn  asseveration,  that  if  you 
refused  the  call  you  heard,  and  were  not  united  to  this 
man,  Christ  Jesus,  as  your  only  Savior,  you  must  feel 
indignation  and  wrath  from  God  for  evermore.  Instant¬ 
ly  upon  such  a  declaration  your  heart  tells  you,  that  in 
the  circumstances  above  described,  bitter  and  disdain¬ 
ful  prejudice  would  have  shown  itself  against  the  mes¬ 
senger.  The  life  of  Jesus,  which  innumerable  slanders 
had  represented  as  infamous,  his  death,  in  your  appre¬ 
hension,  to  the  last  degree  ignominious,  would  have 
made  you  treat  the  report  as  the  most  palpable  lie  ever 
forged  to  deceive.  Accustomed  from  childhood  to  wor¬ 
ship  either  false  gods,  or  to  trust  in  the  true  God  with¬ 
out  a  Mediator,  a  sacred  horror  must  have  chilled  your 
blood  upon  hearing  your  idols  blasphemed,  or  Jesus 
glorified  as  one  with  God;  whilst  every  desire  remain¬ 
ing  in  your  soul,  of  esteem  with  men,  of  sinful  pleasure, 
or  of  happiness  from  the  world,  must  have  inflamed 
your  rage  against/  a  doctrine  which,  if  received,  was 
sure,  like  a  pestilential  wind,  to  blast  them  altogether. 
To  penetrate  through  such  a  cloud  of  darkness,  what  is 
the  light  of  reason  I  To  balance  against  such  bitter  pre¬ 
judice,  what  the  force  of  moral  persuasion  I  To  make 
such  a  sacrifice  of  wealth,  of  ease,  of  character,  and  be¬ 
come  as  it  were  the  offscouring  of  all  things,  even  to  be 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT.  lbl 

deemed  a  curse  upon  the  earth  that  bears  you,  what  the 
power  of  human  resolution  1*  Yet  all  this  sacrifice  was 
understood  and  considered ;  it  was  a  certain  conse¬ 
quence  evident  before  the  eyes  of  all  who  joined  them¬ 
selves  unto  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who,  on  account 
of  the  odium  cast  upon  his  name  in  every  place  where 
the  Gospel  first  came,  is  styled,  "  He  whom  the  nation 
abhorreth.” 

Not  only  to  counteract,  but  entirely  to  eradicate  this 
deep-rooted  enmity  against  the  Redeemer,  the  Gospel 
was  to  be  preached  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
from  heaven.  The  apostles  were  to  receive  power, 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  was  come  upon  them.  Thus 
armed,  they  were  to  be  witnesses  unto  Jesus,  that  is 
of  the  redemption  that  is  in  him,  both  in  Jerusalem, 
and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  utter¬ 
most  parts  of  the  earth.  This  eternal  and  almighty 
Spirit,  by  imparting  to  them  miraculous  gifts,  bore  down 
the  opposition  of  prejudice,  of  education,  and  of  world¬ 
ly  interest ;  and  exerting  his  gracious  influence  on  the 
mind,  at  the  time  he  was  appealing  by  miracles  to  the 
evidence  of  sense,  he  made  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ap¬ 
pear  with  such  transcendent  brightness,  that  thousands 
were  added  to  his  church,  and  ready  to  suffer  death  for 
his  name’s  sake 

Thus  in  an  outward  and  visible  manner  the  Holy 
Ghost  fulfilled  the  Redeemer’s  promise,  whilst  he  laid 
the  foundation  of  true  faith  in  the  soul  of  every  one 
that  believed.  In  this  manner  he  testified  of  Jesus;  he 
glorified  him.  In  this  manner  he  reproved  the  world  of 

*  The  unlearned  reader  is  to  be  informed,  that  all  the  primitive 
apologists  for  our  most  holy  faith  take  notice  of  the  charge  brought 
against  the  Christians,  as  the  procuring  cause  of  all  the  public  cala¬ 
mities  inflicted  on  the  pagans;  and  that  these,  in  their  blind  and 
cruel  superstition,  thought  they  did  their  gods  service  in  putting 
them  to  death. 


168 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


sin ,  in  their  contemptuous  refusal  to  believe  in  Jesus  as 
the  only  Savior ;  of  righteousness  in  the  person  and 
cause  of  Christ,  since  God  hath  borne  such  testimony 
to  him ;  of  the  excellency  of  that  righteousness  he  ac¬ 
complished,  living  and  dying  in  obedience  to  the  law 
of  God ;  and  of  the  necessity  of  it,  as  imputed  to  be¬ 
lievers  for  their  complete  justification.  He  convinced 
the  world  of  judgment ,  in  giving  them  to  behold  with 
their  own  eyes  the  throne  of  Satan  cast  down ;  his  col¬ 
lusive  oracles  silenced,  his  temples  deserted,  abhorred, 
and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  his  miserable  captives 
set  at  liberty. 

This  great  effect  must  not  be  supposed  to  have  been 
produced  by  the  mere  display  of  miracles  to  the  senses; 
it  evidently  discovered  a  positive  influence  exercised  upon 
the  mind.  This  is  exemplified  in  the  prayer  of  the  great 
apostle  for  the  church  at  Ephesus.  By  the  miracles 
wrought  before  them,  they  were  so  far  impressed  with 
a  knowledge  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  as  highly  to  es¬ 
teem  the  much-despised,  much  persecuted  name  of  its 
ever-blessed  Author.  Nevertheless,  the  apostle  makes 
a  clear  distinction  between  this  effect,  flowing  from  the 
evidence  of  the  miracles  which  were  wrought  in  attes¬ 
tation  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  internal  gracious  influence 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  mind.  He  prays  therefore 
that  God  would  grant  unto  them  the  grace  of  his  Spirit, 
u  that  the  eyes  of  their  understanding  being  enlighten¬ 
ed,  they  might  know  what  was  the  hope  of  his  calling, 
and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in 
the  saints,  and  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power  to 
us-ward,  who  believe.”  This  goes  much  deeper  than 
the  force  of  miracles  alone  could  reach.  It  implies  a 
transforming  knowledge  of  those  Sublime  truths  which 
miracles  alone  can  never  produce,  and  a  happy  experi¬ 
ence  of  the  certainty  of  the  words  of  truth  from  their 
vital  operation  within. 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLT  SPIRIT. 


169 


It  is  evident,  then,  that  it  was  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  which  produced  conviction  and  faith  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  heard  the  Gospel  preached  by  the  apostles, 
and  which  laid  the  foundation  of  the  primitive  church. 

But  it  may  be  said,  "  There  does  not  exist  in  the  prc~ 
sent  day  the  same  necessity  for  his  agency.  The  circum¬ 
stances  of  the  Christian  world  are  quite  different.  Now, 
instead  of  blasphemous  revilings  cast  on  the  name  of 
Jesus,  he  is  adored  as  God  in  all  our  churches.  Instead 
of  suffering  persecution  from  our  relations,  because  we 
profess  ourselves  the  disciples  of  Christ,  we  should  give 
offence  to  them  were  we  not  to  do  so.  This  alteration 
in  the  state  of  the  world  has  therefore  removed  the  ne¬ 
cessity  which  before  existed  for  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Vvre  accordingly  no  longer  see  a  single  miracle 
wrought  in  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  now 
that  its  own  establishment,  the  most  convincing  of  all 
miracles,  has  taken  place.” 

Thus,  because  the  extraordinary  operations  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  have  ceased,  the  necessity  and  efficacy  of 
his  influence  at  present  is  absolutely  denied  by  some, 
and  received  with  doubt  and  suspicion  by  many  5  and 
all  that  has  been  so  plainly  inculcated  in  Scripture  of 
bis  teaching,  his  strength  and  his  comforts,  has  been 
injuriously  restricted  to  former  ages.  A  mistake  this, 
destructive  of  all  real  religion; — a  mistake  proceeding 
from  an  utter  ignorance  or  impious  disbelief  of  the  na¬ 
tural  blindness  of  men  to  the  truths  of  God,  and  of  his 
aversion  to  receive  them  with  an  obedient  heart.  For- 
if  the  Scripture  account  of  the  blindness  of  the  human 
understanding  and  the  depravity  of  the  heart  is  received, 
it  must  follow  that  man  of  himself  cannot  receive  and 
come  into  subjection  to  the  truth  of  God,  though  the 
rage  of  Jews  and  gentiles  were  supposed  to  be  entirely 
removed,  and  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  revelation  to  be 
allowed.  "  The  natural  man,”— the  man  who  acts  only 

8 


Duty  of  Man. 


170 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


upon  the  principles  of  natural  reason,  and  seeks  no  illu¬ 
mination  in  his  understanding  from  the  Holy  Ghost, — 
"  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  for  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him ;  neither  can  he  know  them, 
because  they  are  spiritually  discerned.”  1  Cor.  2  :  14.  In 
their  divine  truth,  excellence  and  glory,  they  can  be 
discovered  by  none  who  are  not  enlightened  by  the  Spi¬ 
rit  of  God.  It  follows  from  this  declaration,  that  a  true 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  salvation  by 
him,  must  be  the  production  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  much 
at  this  very  hour,  as  when  the  apostles  first  planted 
churches  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  The  Holy  Ghost  must 
take  of  the  things  which  are  Christ’s,  and  by  his  power¬ 
ful  effectual  teaching  "  show  them”  unto  us.  Otherwise 
the  Redeemer  will  never  be  exalted  and  extolled,  nor 
receive  any  heartfelt  adoration  for  all  his  kindness  to¬ 
wards  us.  What  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  im¬ 
mediately  after  our  Lord’s  ascension,  is  still  his  work 
with  every  one  that  believes  to  the  saving  of  his  soul  \ 
the  exhibition  of  the  external  miracles,  which  accom¬ 
panied  it  in  old  time,  only  excepted. 

The  proof  of  this  assertion,  so  much  questioned  now, 
and  so  often  vilified  as  enthusiasm,  I  shall  endeavor  to 
evince  from  that  most  instructive  text  on  this  subject, 
John,  16  :  8,  which  has  been  already  considered  in  its 
primary  sense,  and  as  it  related  to  the  apostolic  age. 

"When  the  Comforter  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the 
world  of  sin ,  because  they  believe  not  on  me.”  The  sin 
of  overlooking  the  Son  of  God,  so  as  to  exercise  no  de¬ 
pendence  on  him  for  righteousness  and  strength,  is  not 
perceived  by  man  till  renewed  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
though  he  may  acknowledge  the  truth  of  the  Christian 
creed.  Deceit  and  fraud,  envy  and  malice,  with  the 
crimes  destructive  to  society,  are  generally  reprobated 
and  their  evil  is  manifest.  But  the  great  sin  of  enter¬ 
taining  such  thoughts  of  ourselves  and  of  our  own  vir~ 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 


171 


tnes  as  do  in  fact  render  all  the  names  of  honor  we  give 
unto  Christ  merely  titular:  this  sin,  most  injurious  to 
the  perfections  of  God,  you  never  see  in  the  catalogue 
which  unenlightened  man  draws  up  against  himself.  He 
can  approach  the  holy,  the  jealous  God,  in  prayer,  with¬ 
out  fear  or  suspicion  of  his  displeasure,  though  he  ne¬ 
ver  committed  his  cause  to  the  appointed  Mediator,  nor 
laid  his  sacrifice  upon  that  altar  which  alone  can  sanc¬ 
tify  it  in  the  sight  of  God. 

To  reprove  for  this  sin  in  particular  is  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  He  it  is  who  must  open  your  eyes,  if 
they  are  ever  opened,  to  see  your  own  sinfulness  ;  and 
to  loathe  yourself  before  your  Maker,  for  the  mean 
thoughts,  the  grovelling  apprehensions,  which,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  declarations  of  the  Bible,  and  your  pre¬ 
tended  belief  of  it,  you  have  had  concerning  the  Lord’s 
Christ,  the  Rock  of  ages,  the  Beloved  of  the  Father.  It 
is  "  by  the  Holy  Ghost  ”  you  must  be  enabled  to  say, 
with  firm  reliance  on  him,  that  "Jesus  Christ  is  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.”  By  his  influence  it  is 
that  you  ever  so  behold  the  Savior  as  to  believe  in  your 
heart,  and  to  confess  with  your  mouth,  "  That  if  any  man 
love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,”  that  man  is  "  anathe¬ 
ma,  maran-atha,” — accursed  of  God  ;  and  unless  he  re¬ 
pents  of  this  great  wickedness,  is  sure  to  be  condemned 
by  the  Lord  when  he  cometh  to  judge  the  world.  When 
the  sin  of  not  depending  on  Jesus,  and  not  honoring 
him  as  the  Father  is  honored,  is  thus  clearly  perceiv¬ 
ed  and  heartily  detested $  it  is  not  flesh  and  blood  that 
has  made  the  revelation ;  no,  nor  barely  the  written 
word  of  God,  (for  long  after  that  was  allowed  by  you 
to  be  the  truth,  no  such  effect  followed  5)  it  is  owing  to 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  who  has  communicated  to  you  this 
most  precious  knowledge. 

Again,  "  When  the  Comforter  is  come,”  saith  our 
Lord,  "  he  shall  reprove  the  world  of  I'ighteousness ,  be- 


172 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


cause  I  go  to  my  Father.”  To  be  received  into  favor 
with  God  by  virtue  of  what  another  has  done  ;  and  to 
confess  that  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  is  of  such 
efficacy  as  to  bring  down  blessing  and  salvation  to 
every  sincere  dependent  upon  him  for  righteousness,  is 
a  mystery  offensive  to  the  haughty  spirit  of  man  in  its 
natural  state.  Still,  if  left  to  ourselves,  though  the  Bible 
is  in  our  hands,  though  we  profess  a  sacred  regard  to 
its  dictates,  we  shall  go  about  to  establish  our  own 
righteousness ;  we  shall  stand  upon  our  own  personal 
worth  before  God  as  the  foundation  of  our  eternal 
hopes.  Under  the  accusations  of  conscience,  we  shall 
have  recourse  to  our  own  frailty  and  the  strength  of 
temptation  as  our  advocates  ;  to  our  repentance  and 
amendment,  as  our  propitiation.  For  so  inveterately, 
through  the  corruption  of  our  natures,  are  we  prepos¬ 
sessed  in  favor  of  our  own  virtues,  and  even  of  our 
feeblest  attempts  to  be  virtuous,  that  we  can  be  as  confi¬ 
dent  as  if  we  were  as  holy  as  the  law  of  God  requires 
us  to  be. 

It  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  reprove  the  world 
for  this  self-exalting  lie;  for  this  hateful  over-rating  our 
poor  tainted  performances,  our  much-blemished  obedi¬ 
ence.  The  eternal  Spirit  only  can  overthrow  such  vain 
confidence,  and  can  establish  a  persuasion  in  the  mind 
directly  opposite  to  it ;  namely,  that  Jesus  was  deliver¬ 
ed  for  our  offences,  and  raised  again  for  our  justifica¬ 
tion  ;  that  in  consequence  of  this  we  are  always  accept¬ 
ed,  even  after  our  highest  possible  advancement  in  holi¬ 
ness  on  earth,  not  for  our  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of 
Christ ;  and  that  his  going  to  the  Father,  in  the  charac¬ 
ter  of  Mediator,  is  all  our  hope  ;  that  though  unfeigned 
repentance,  sincere  love  to  God,  and  universal  obedi¬ 
ence  to  his  commandments,  are  and  must  be  our  vouch¬ 
ers  that  we  belong  to  Christ,  yet  neither  singly  nor  al¬ 
together  do  they  make  reconciliation  for  the  least  of 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


173 


our  sins  ;  that  Jesus  alone  accomplished  this  work,  im¬ 
possible  to  any  creature,  too  mighty  even  for  angels  to 
attempt,  when  he  bled  on  the  cross,  and  cried  out,  "  It 
is  finished.” 

But  till  the  Holy  Ghost  convince  us  of  the  necessity 
and  glory  of  this  righteousness,  it  is  an  offensive  sub¬ 
ject.  Such  exaltation  of  the  Savior’s  obedience  and 
death  will  be  construed  into  a  disparagement  of  personal 
virtue.  The  seeking  the  gift  of  justification  unto  eternal 
life,  "  freely  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Jesus,” 
will  be  deemed  a  contempt  of  good  works.  The  Spirit 
of  truth  must  exert  his  gracious  influence  to  remove 
this  natural  blindness,  and  master  this  stubborn  preju¬ 
dice  ;  and  then,  that  merit  which  Jesus  ever  lives  to 
plead  before  the  Father,  for  the  church  purchased  by 
his  own  blood,  will  be  all  your  salvation  and  all  your 
desire. 

In  one  instance  more,  the  text  under  consideration 
declares  the  work  and  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost : 
"He  shall  reprove  the  world  of  judgment,  because  the 
prince  of  this  world  is  judged  :”  that  is,  he  shall  con¬ 
vince  men  of  the  complete  victory  which  Jesus  has  ob¬ 
tained  over  sin,  the  world  and  Satan ;  in  order  to  make 
all  who  believe  in  him  happy  partakers  of  the  same. 

Subjection  to  sin,  although  the  vilest  servitude  and 
basest  vassalage,  is  too  often  earnestly  contended  for. 
Every  man  in  the  world,  it  is  said,  in  the  language  of 
politeness,  has  his  foible  ;  that  is,  some  sin,  or  evil  tem¬ 
per,  that  lords  it  over  him.  Like  the  dastardly  unbe¬ 
lieving  spies  sent  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  men  magnify 
to  an  enormous  size  the  force  of  temptation  and  the 
weakness  of  the  flesh,  forgetting  the  power  of  God  ;  and 
then  say,  Who  can  stand  before  these  1 

The  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  the  grand  agent  for  the  glory 
of  Christ,  convinces  us  that  we  err  in  this  matter,  not 
considering  the  power  of  the  Redeemer.  It  is  his  office 


174 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


to  assure  the  heart  that  ”  the  prince  of  this  world  is 
judged,”  already  dethroned,  and  vanquished  by  Jesus : 
to  persuade  us  that  the  working  of  his  Spirit,  which 
worketh  mightily  in  them  that  believe,  is  infinitely 
stronger  than  the  combined  force  of  all  outward  oppo¬ 
sition,  and  of  all  inward  corruption  ;  to  demonstrate  to 
us,  that  if  we  are  doing  what  is  forbidden,  if  we  are  en¬ 
slaved  by  pride  or  discontent,  intemperance  or  unclean¬ 
ness,  covetousness  or  envy,  it  is  because  we  will  not  in 
earnest  seek  deliverance  from  such  hateful  tyrants. 

In  this  manner,  as  in  the  apostles’  days,  the  Holy 
Ghost  now ,  and  at  all  times ,  operates  on  the  mind  of 
every  one  that  believes  in  Jesus.  Now,  as  then,  a  man 
cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  grace  except  he  he 
first  "  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit.” 

And  whilst  the  Holy  Ghost  testifies  of  Christ,  and 
glorifies  him  in  his  person  and  undertaking  j  his  influ 
ence,  we  must  observe,  is  a  thing  quite  distinct  from 
those  means  by  which  it  is  conveyed  5  so  that  wherever 
proper  convictions  of  the  Redeemer’s  person  and  salva¬ 
tion  are  cordially  received,  it  is  not  to  the  means,  but 
to  the  Spirit  working  by  them ,  that  we  must  attribute  the 
enlightening  and  renewing  of  the  mind.  This  important 
doctrine  is  repeated  again  and  again  in  Scripture,  and 
must  therefore  never  be  overlooked  by  us.  Thus  it  is 
written  of  the  degenerate  idolatrous  Israelites,  "  Hear 
ye  indeed,  but  understand  not ;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but 
perceive  not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and 
their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes  ;  lest  they  see  with 
their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand  with 
their  heart,  and  convert,  and  be  healed.”  Isaiah,  6  :  9, 
10.  Here  is  the  outward  call  of  the  word  on  the  one 
hand,  but  on  the  other  a  refusal  of  the  inward  and  spi¬ 
ritual  grace,  on  account  of  their  insupportable  provoca¬ 
tions.  The  alarming  expressions,  "  Make  the  heart  of 
this  people  fat,  and  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT.  175 

eyes,”  cannot  possibly  mean  that  God  actually  inspired 
Israel  with  contempt  for  his  holy  word,  or  disaffection 
towards  it ;  but  they  mean  that  such  hardness  of  heart 
and  disaffection  must  always  follow,  where  the  Spirit 
of  grace  is  withdrawn ;  because  he  alone  opens  the  eyes 
of  the  understanding,  and  unstops  the  ears  which  are 
deaf  to  the  words  of  God’s  book. 

In  confirmation  of  the  same  truth,  it  is  recorded  that 
God  "  opened  the  heart  of  Lydia,  that  she  attended  to 
the  things  which  were  spoken  of  Paul.”  Acts,  16  :  14. 
In  this  instance  you  very  distinctly  mark  the  inspired 
preacher  on  the  one  hand,  declaring  the  whole  counsel 
of  God,  and  offering  the  knowledge  of  all  that  is  exter¬ 
nally  needful  to  the  conversion  of  the  soul ;  and  on  the 
other,  you  observe  the  God  of  all  grace  exercising  his 
blessed  and  powerful  influence,  by  which  the  apostle’s 
discourse  was  successful,  and  attained  the  end  for  which 
it  was  delivered.  And  lest  these  declarations  should  be 
considered  as  extraordinary,  St.  Paul  teaches  us  gene¬ 
rally  to  distinguish  between  the  means  and  instruments, 
and  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  from  whom  all  their 
beneficial  effects  proceed.  He  puts  this  interrogation : 
"  Who  then  is  Paul,  and  who  is  Apollos,  but  ministers, 
by  whom  ye  believed,  even  as  the  Lord  gave  to  every 
man!  I  have  planted,  Apollos  watered;  but  God  gave 
the  increase.”  1  Cor.  3  :  5,  6.  Mark  here  how  totally 
distinct  from  each  other  are  the  means  of  grace,  and 
the  eternal  Spirit  to  which  they  owe  their  efficacy.  By 
consequence,  you  must  allow  that  the  foundation  of  the 
Christian  religion  is  laid  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  every  believer  ;  and  that  his  work  and  influence  is  at 
this  hour  as  real  and  successful  with  believers,  as  it  was 
when  signs  and  wonders  were  done  by  him  through  the 
hands  of  the  apostles. 

From  what  has  been  offered,  we  may  understand 
clearly  the  permanent  work  and  internal  operation  of 


176 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  know  whether  we  are  the  happy 
subjects  of  it  ourselves,  by  considering  what  impres¬ 
sions  the  word  of  truth  has  made  upon  our  minds. 

But  besides  this,  the  Scripture  teaches  us  to  look 
upon  the  Holy  Ghost  as  the  author  of  the  sanctification 
which  is  wrought  in  the  hearts,  and  appears  in  the  lives 
of  believers  ;  and  that,  by  this  sanctification ,  his  in¬ 
dwelling  presence  and  effectual  working  may  be  known. 
If  you  have  sincere  love  to  God  for  sending  his  Son 
into  the  world  as  the  propitiation  for  sin,  this  love  is  no 
more  the  natural  growth  of  your  heart,  or  acquired 
simply  by  your  own  reflections  and  contemplations, 
than  the  grain  which  clothes  our  fields  is  spontaneous¬ 
ly  produced  without  seed  or  culture — "  it  is  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost  given  unto  you.” 
If  the  effect  of  this  love  is  joy  in  God,  this,  in  honor 
of  its  divine  and  gracious  Author,  is  called  "Joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost.”  If  you  possess  an  internal  settled  tran¬ 
quillity,  whilst  God  and  eternal  judgment  are  in  your 
thoughts,  through  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  you  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  atonement ;  in  the  place  of  that  guilty  un¬ 
easiness,  or  stupid  insensibility,  which  you  showed 
before,  at  the  mention  of  such  awful  subjects ;  the  mar¬ 
vellous  change  claims  a  divine  parent,  and  is  expressly 
declared  to  be  "  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit.”  If  possessing 
in  your  heart  the  heavenly  treasure  of  love,  peace  and 
joy,  you  are  patient  under  repeated  injuries,  gentle  un¬ 
der  exasperating  provocations,  kind  according  to  your 
ability,  meek  so  as  to  evidence  the  humble  opinion  you 
entertain  of  yourself,  and  the  good-will  you  feel  to¬ 
wards  all  men  ;  this  union  of  amiable  tempers  "  cometh 
from  above.”  It  is  the  image  and  superscription  of  one 
sanctified  by  the  Spirit,  and  expressly  said  to  be  his 
fruit. 

There  is  not  a  duty  we  are  called  to  perform,  not  an 
evil  temper  we  are  required  to  vanquish,  but  we  are  di 


OFFICE  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 


177 


recteJ  in  Scripture  to  seek  for  the  aid  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  that  our  endeavors  may  be  crowned  with  suc¬ 
cess.  We  are  taught  that  "He  helps  our  infirmities” 
in  prayer ;  that  on  this  account  he  is  called  "  The  Spirit 
of  grace  and  supplication.”  We  are  commanded  "to 
pray  in  the  Holy  Ghost :”  which  plainly  implies,  that  as 
in  prayer  we  must  seek  his  sanctifying  grace,  in  order 
to  do  all  other  duties,  so  must  we  acknowledge  and  de¬ 
pend  upon  his  assistance  for  the  right  discharge  of  the 
duty  of  prayer  itself.  This  is  plainly  marked  in  the 
Scripture  account  of  the  acceptance  of  our  holy  duties. 
It  teaches  us,  that  all  true  Christians  have  access  to  the 
Father  through  the  Mediator  "  by  one  Spirit,”  Ephes.  2: 
18.  So  in  discharging  the  duty  of  praise,  when  Chris¬ 
tians  are  exhorted  to  be  much  employed  in  the  praises 
of  God,  they  are  exhorted  to  be  "  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.”  And  their  being  thus  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  not  spoken  of  merely  as  a  privilege  which  God 
promises,  but  a  duty  which  he  requires.  From  whence 
it  is  evident,  that  without  him  all  our  services  will  want 
the  very  soul  which  should  animate  them,  and  be  as  a 
maimed  sacrifice.  In  a  word,  it  is  to  denote  the  never- 
ceasing  influence  and  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  hearts  of  all  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  that  their 
life  is  expressed  in  these  terms,  "  Being,” — "  Walking,” 
— "Living,” — "In  the  Spirit.” 


178 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  SB OE 1*  SH SHIT.—  continued. 

THE  PROPERTIES  OF  THE  SPIRIT^  INFLUENCE. 

We  have  already  discoursed  upon  the  personality  and 
nature  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  we  have  also  endeavored  to 
learn  from  Scripture  what  purposes  his  influence  is  de¬ 
signed  to  effect.  It  remains  now  that  we  should  explain 
the  properties  of  his  operation ;  at  once  to  detect  the 
delusions  of  enthusiasts,  and  to  expose  the  impious 
though  too  prevalent  error  of  denying  the  reality  of  his 
agency  upon  the  hearts  of  them  that  believe. 

First,  then,  this  influence  of  the  Holy  Chost  is  secret, 
and  discernible  only  by  its  fruits.  The  Spirit  is  not 
to  be  conceived  of  as  using  violence  or  constraint  on 
man,  hut  as  acting  in  a  way  similar  to  what  we  observe 
in  the  established  course  of  nature.  Accordingly,  the 
prophets,  the  apostles,  and  the  Son  of  God,  refer  us  to 
the  growth  of  the  vegetable  world  for  the  illustration 
of  the  Spirit’s  influence.  As  the  juices  of  the  earth  are 
first  absorbed  by  the  root,  from  whence  they  gradually 
ascend  the  trunk,  and  thence  are  diffused  to  the  branch¬ 
es,  producing  blossoms  and  fruits  to  the  admiration  of 
every  spectator,  though  the  most  penetrating  eye  can¬ 
not  discern  how;  so  it  is  with  the  agency  of  the  Spirit. 
The  life  of  holiness  in  the  soul  of  one  born  of  the  Spirit 
appears  in  his  actions,  discourse,  desires,  affections  and 
most  secret  thoughts.  Every  one  that  diligently  ob¬ 
serves  him  can  perceive  the  excellent  fruits  of  his  life, 
but  the  Author  of  it  is  invisible,  and  the  method  by 
which  it  has  been  produced  and  maintained  is  incom¬ 
prehensible. 


THE  SPIRIT’S  INFLUENCE. 


179 


Secondly.  Though  the  Spirit’s  influence  is  secret, 
silent,  and  not  to  be  observed  but  by  its  fruits,  yet  it  is 
most  j powerful  in  the  effects  produced.  The  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus  is  born  to  conflict,  toil  and  labor.  Born 
for  fight,  and  intended  for  victory ;  but  not  at  present 
formed  to  enjoy  so  much  as  to  act.  A  power,  therefore, 
proportioned  to  the  difficulties  with  which  a  Christian 
has  to  struggle,  and  to  the  enemies  with  whom  he  has 
to  contend,  must  be  continually  supplied.  And  this  is 
granted :  ”  Whosoever  is  born  of  God,  overcometh  the 
world the  love  of  its  pleasures  cannot  corrupt  him, 
nor  the  fear  of  its  frowns  dismay  him ;  he  marches  on 
in  the  strength  of  God,  and  will  not  be  turned  out  of 
the  path  of  his  duty.  But  the  influence  by  which  such 
a  victory  is  maintained  must  be  full  of  energy  j  and 
those  who  stand  in  this  condition  must  be  "  kept  by  the 
power  of  God,  through  faith,  unto  salvation.” 

Thirdly.  The  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  always 
exactly  correspondent  to  the  written  word ,  and  preserved 
and  increased  in  the  use  of  the  means  of  grace.  He 
makes  no  new  revelations,  but  gives  success  and  efficia- 
cy  to  what  is  already  revealed.  He  accomplishes  no 
other  change  in  the  habits,  sentiments  and  feelings  of 
the  soul  than  what  the  sacred  oracles  point  out,  and 
such  as  to  unprejudiced  reason  must  appear  excellent 
and  desirable.  He  works  by  means  apt  and  suitable  in 
themselves  for  the  maintenance  and  increase  of  holi¬ 
ness,  though  his  influence  is  entirely  distinct  in  itself 
from  those  means.  As  the  life  of  the  body,  though  up¬ 
held  by  a  divine  power  from  moment  to  moment,  is  not 
maintained  miraculously,  but  in  the  use  of  food,  rest 
and  sleep ;  so  the  soul  of  the  regenerate,  who  walks  in 
the  Spirit  and  lives  in  the  Spirit,  "  desires  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  word,  that  he  may  grow  thereby he 
prays  and  watches ;  and  by  the  use  of  his  enlightened 
sanctified  reason,  he  avoids  what  would  endanger  his 


ISO 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


soul,  and  chooses  that  by  which  it  can  be  profited. 

Fourthly.  The  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  various 
in  the  degrees  of  its  communication  and  operation.  All 
who  are  the  blessed  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  not 
only  differ  from  others  who  share  the  same  privilege, 
but  from  themselves  at  different  seasons  in  the  degree 
of  benefit  they  receive.  Some  have  much  more  light 
and  joy,  strength  and  vigor  than  others  j  and  there  is 
often  a  quick  succession  of  peace  and  trouble,  of  tran¬ 
quillity  and  conflict.  But  this  variety  respecting  those 
who  are  under  the  government  of  the  same  Spirit,  is 
generally  owing  to  the  different  degrees  of  watchfulness, 
diligence,  and  fidelity  in  the  use  of  the  talents  already 
committed  to  their  care.  The  Spirit,  we  are  taught,  is 
often  "  grieved,”  and  in  a  degree  "quenched”  by  care¬ 
lessness,  neglect,  and  still  more  by  a  fall  into  some 
known  sin.  In  such  cases  the  paternal  justice  of  God 
requires  that  proper  rebukes  should  be  given  ;  that  his 
children,  feeling  their  own  leanness  and  deadness,  may 
be  more  vigilant  for  the  time  to  come,  and  learn  to 
prize  the  light  of  God’s  countenance  above  every  bless¬ 
ing.  For  the  same  reason,  in  order  to  encourage  and 
graciously  reward  the  zealous  obedience  of  those  who 
faithfully  consecrate  themselves  to  him,  studying  to 
serve  him  with  their  whole  hearts ;  the  Father  and  Son 
will  abundantly  manifest  their  favor  to  them  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  come  and  make  their  abode  with  them. 

We  have  now  explained  with  sufficient  copiousness 
the  nature  of  the  Holy  Spirit’s  influence :  it  remains 
only  that  we  should  conclude  this  subject  with  a  remark 
upon  the  impiety  of  the  opinions  but  too  fashionable  in 
the  present  day,  which  vilify  his  gracious  operation  as 
the  chimera  of  a  heated  brain  and  the  reverie  of  enthu¬ 
siasts.  To  cover  the  impiety  of  such  opinions,  it  is  com¬ 
mon  to  urge  the  bold  and  shameless  pretences  of  enthu¬ 
siasts  to  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  appeal 


THE  SPIRIT’S  IKFLUEIS'CE. 


181 


to  our  ignorance  of  any  such  influence  on  our  own 
minds.  Arguments  these  as  frivolous  and  vain  as  the 
opinion  they  are  urged  to  justify  is  impious  in  the  sight 
of  God.  For  what  ean  possibly  be  conceived  more  weak 
than  to  ridicule  and  explode  a  doctrine  merely  because 
it  has  been  abused  to  purposes  totally  opposite  to  its 
real  tendency  l  If  there  is  any  force  in  this  argument,- 
we  must  renounce  the  use  of  reason,  no  less  than  the 
belief  of  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  Christianity.  For  what 
can  be  more  hurtful  to  society,  what  more  injurious  to 
the  honor  of  God  and  the  well-being  of  man,  than  that 
licentiousness  which  many  of  the  loudest  declaimers 
upon  the  excellence  of  reason  have  recommended  in  her 
name  1  If  the  jargon  used  by  visionaries,  who  falsely 
lay  claim  to  the  Spirit’s  influence,  to  cover  their  pride 
or  screen  their  crimes,  will  justify  the  total  denial  of 
any  operation  of  the  Spirit  on  the  hearts  of  believers ; 
then  surely  we  must  also  allow  that  the  execrable  blas¬ 
phemies  littered  against  God’s  most  holy  word  by  those 
who  pique  themselves  on  being  eminently  rational, 
would  vindicate  the  suppression  of  the  exercise  of  the 
rational  faculty ;  or  at  least  would  give  ground  to  re¬ 
present  it  as  mischievous  in  itself,  and  ever  to  be  sus¬ 
pected.  But  does  not  every  intelligent  person  in  this 
case  distinguish  the  use  from  the  abuse  of  reason  1 
Surely,  then,  reason,  candor,  and  the  authority  of  the 
Almighty,  require  you  to  judge  in  the  same  way  con¬ 
cerning  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  and  not  to  condemn  the 
genuine  offspring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  confounding  it 
with  the  base  counterfeit  that  may  in  some  points 
slightly  resemble  it.  And  whoever  refuses  to  be  at  the 
pains  of  examining  by  scripture  marks  and  evidences, 
before  he  determines  what  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  it 
is  plain  that  the  corruption  of  his  heart  has  filled  him 
with  enmity  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Spirit’s  influence ; 
and  therefore,  with  criminal  rashness,  he  confounds 


182 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


tilings  which  are  essentially  different, — the  spirit  of  de¬ 
lusion  with  the  Spirit  of  truth. 

The  other  argument  urged  by  many  with  an  air  of 
confidence  against  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  heart,  is  as  frivolous;  namely,  their  ignorance  of 
any  such  operation  upon  their  own  minds.  "  We  expe¬ 
rience,”  exclaim  the  careless  and  the  proud,  the  gay 
and  the  voluptuous,  " nothing  of  this  kind;  therefore, 
argue  as  you  please  concerning  it,  we  cannot  believe  it 
to  be  any  thing  more  than  the  creature  of  imagination.” 
But  what  palpable  absurdity  is  this !  In  every  other  in 
stance  you  would  condemn  it  as  weak  reasoning.  Were 
a  man  to  tell  you  that  he  would  never  believe  that  there 
is  in  another  any  excellency  superior  to  what  he  him¬ 
self  possesses,  because  he  does  not  experience  it,  would 
you  not  think  his  stupidity  too  great  to  deserve  an  an¬ 
swer!  We  do  not  esteem  brutes  capable  of  judging  of 
the  properties  of  man ;  nor  one  man,  in  some  instances, 
more  capable  of  judging  of  the  perfections  of  another. 
Such  as  have  exercised  themselves  with  success  in  phi¬ 
losophical  studies,  are  conscious  of  pleasure  in  them, 
to  which  others  are  absolute  strangers.  Now,  should  a 
clown,  in  the  grossness  of  his  ignorance  and  the  nar¬ 
rowness  of  his  understanding,  scoff  at  the  mention  of 
such  pleasures,  and  be  Confident  there  was  no  reality 
in  them,  surely  it  would  be  accounted  a  piece  of  folly 
too  gross  to  need  a  formal  confutation.  But  the  differ¬ 
ence  between  the  spiritual  man  and  the  man  who  appre¬ 
hends  no  more  than  what  his  own  reason  can  teach  him, 
is  much  greater  than  what  subsists  between  the  most 
illiterate  peasant  and  the  most  renowned  philosopher. 
The  difference  between  those  that  are  born  after  the 
Spirit,  and  those  that  are  born  only  after  the  flesh,  is  de¬ 
scribed  in  Scripture  by  these  strong  terms  :  "  a  passing 
from  death  to  life.;  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous 
-ight ;”  it  implies  the  exercise  of  the  faculties  and  affec- 


THE  SPIRIT’S  INFLUENCE. 


183 


tions  of  the  mind  with  esteem,  frequency  and  delight,  on 
what  before  was  neglected,  despised,  abhorred. 

For  men  therefore  to  say,  We  will  not  admit  there  is 
now  any  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  soul,  be¬ 
cause  we  feel  not  his  influence  on  our  own,  is  to  make 
their  knowledge  the  measure  of  all  reality ;  the  folly 
and  fallacy  of  which  is  obvious.  They  may  know,  in¬ 
deed,  how  the  case  is  with  themselves ;  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  their 
hearts ;  no  enlightening  of  their  understanding ;  no 
change  in  their  own  affections,  no  desire  of  nearer  and 
still  nearer  approach  to  God,  no  thirsting  after  his  pre¬ 
sence,  no  heavenly  joy  and  consolation  in  Christ  Jesus. 
This  all  men,  who  are  destitute  of  repentance  and  faith 
in  Jesus,  may  with  the  greatest  truth  affirm  of  them¬ 
selves,  for  the  Scripture  declares  it  of  them.  But  posi¬ 
tively  and  confidently  to  assert  that  this  must  be  the 
case  with  all  others  likewise,  is  to  reject  the  essential 
difference  on  earth  between  the  heirs  of  salvation  and  the 
children  of  the  wicked  one.  It  is  impudently  to  deny  the 
work  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  life  maintained  by  him ;  though 
in  Scripture  there  is  a  clear,  full  and  distinct  account  of 
this  work,  and  of  the  life  produced  in  the  soul  by  him,  of 
its  nature  and  operations,  its  pains  and  enjoyments,  its 
declensions  and  revivals.  To  deny  therefore  the  reality 
of  these  things,  is  to  lie  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to 
prove  manifestly  that  you  have  no  share  in  him.  It  is  to 
lie  against  him ;  because  if  there  be  no  work  and  opera¬ 
tion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  then  the  Scriptures,  which  holy 
men  of  old  wrote  through  his  inspiration,  and  which  give  a 
p  articular  account  of  his  continual  presence  and  influence 
with  the  church,  are  no  better  than  a  fabulous  tale.  And 
it  proves  that  you  have  no  share  in  him,  since  you  could  not 
speak  with  malicious  words  against  this  divine  Agent,  who 
impresses  the  truth  of  God  on  the  heart,  unless  you  were 
yourself,  alas!  ” earthly,  sensual,  having  not  the  Spirit.” 


184 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


HU  S9  E  T  *1JV  C  JE . 


THE  NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 

It  is  a  truth  fully  revealed  in  Scripture,  that  without 
repentance  no  one  can  enter  into  life.  But  too  often  it 
happens,  that  those  who  are  convinced  of  this  deceive 
themselves  by  calling  something  by  the  name  of  repent¬ 
ance  which  bears  only  a  superficial  resemblance  to  it : 
and  then  flatter  themselves  with  the  vain  imagination 
that  this  base  counterfeit  shall  be  entitled  to  the  bless¬ 
ings  promised  to  the  divine  original. 

To  compare  therefore,  and  distinguish  true  repent¬ 
ance  from  the  false  ;  to  show  why  every  one,  ere  he  can 
be  saved,  must  experience  the  change  it  implies,  and  to 
discover  the  way  to  attain  it,  is  a  point  of  great  import¬ 
ance.  It  will  tend,  through  the  blessing  of  God,  to  dis¬ 
cover  prevailing  errors  which  lie  at  the  root  of  all  care¬ 
less  and  profane  living,  and  to  awaken  every  reader  to 
self-examination  on  this  important  point. 

First,  then,  let  it  be  observed,  that  false  repentance 
flows  from  a  sense  of  danger ,  and  a  fear  of  impending 
wrath.  When  the  conscience  of  a  sinner  is  alarmed 
with  a  sense  of  his  dreadful  guilt  and  danger,  it  must 
of  necessity  loudly  remonstrate  against  those  sins  which 
threaten  him  with  eternal  destruction :  hence  those 
alarms  and  terrors  which  are  frequently  found  amongst 
men  under  apprehensions  of  death.  At  such  times  their 
sins,  some  grosser  enormities  especially,  confront  them, 
and  all  their  aggravations  are  remembered  with  bitter 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 


185 


ness;  conscience  draws  up  the  indictment,  and  sets 
home  the  charge  against  them ;  the  law  passes  the  sen¬ 
tence  and  condemns  them  without  mercy.  And  what 
have  they  now  in  prospect  but  a  fearful  looking-for  of 
fiery  indignation  to  consume  them  1  Now  with  distress 
they  cry  out  and  howl  upon  their  beds  for  the  greatness 
of  their  sin  !  With  amazement  they  expect  the  dreadful 
issue  of  their  sinful  practices.  How  ready  are  they  now 
to  make  resolutions  of  beginning  an  humble,  watchful, 
holy  life  !  In  this  their  terror,  conscience,  like  a  flaming 
sword,  keeps  them  from  their  former  course  of  impiety 
and  sensuality. 

But  wrhat  is  this  repentance  more  than  the  fear  of  the 
worm  that  never  dieth,  and  of  the  fire  that  never  shall 

9  ' 

be  quenched  I  Let  but  conscience  be  pacified,  and  the 
tempest  of  the  troubled  mind  allayed,  and  this  false  peni¬ 
tent  will  return  with  the  dog  to  his  vomit  again,  till 
some  new  alarm  revive  his  convictions  of  sin  and  dan¬ 
ger,  and  with  them  the  same  process  of  repentance. 
Thus  too  many  will  sin  and  repent,  and  repent  and  sin, 
all  their  lives. 

In  some  instances,  indeed,  distress  of  conscience 
makes  a  deeper  impression,  and  fixes  such  an  abiding 
dread  of  particular  gross  sins,  that  there  appears  a  visi¬ 
ble  reformation.  Yet  in  this  case  the  sinner’s  lusts  may 
be  only  dammed  up  by  his  fears:  and,  were  the  dam 
broken  down,  they  would  immediately  run  again  in 
their  former  channel  with  renewed  force.  It  is  true, 
this  terror  is  often  a  preparative  to  true  repentance  ;  but 
if  it  proceed  no  further,  it  is  still  a  fallacious  sign  of 
safety. 

Here,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  though 
there  maybe  much  terror  and  external  reformation  with¬ 
out  true  repentance,  yet  it  is  desirable  to  be  even  thus 
far  convicted  of  sin.  The  greater  part  of  true  penitents 
have  been  at  first  in  similar  distress,  and  were  thus 


186 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


warned  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Instead  there¬ 
fore  of  construing  what  is  said  against  false  repentance, 
as  if  all  was  lost  because  you  fear  your  repentance  is 
not  of  the  right  kind  ;  let  your  ruin  by  sin  constrain  you 
to  trust  in  Christ,  and  excite  you  to  prayer,  that  those 
terrors  which  are  in  themselves  no  certain  proofs  of  the 
sincerity  of  your  repentance,  may  issue  in  what  undoubt¬ 
edly  are  such  proofs. 

False  repentance  then  flows  merely  from  a  sense  of 
danger,  and  a  fear  of  impending  wrath.  The  character 
of  true  repentance  is  quite  opposite.  Here  sin  itself  be¬ 
comes  the  greatest  burden  and  object  of  aversion ;  sor¬ 
row  springs  from  an  affecting  humbling  sense  of  the 
dishonor  and  injury  which  the  penitent  feels  he  has 
done  to  God ;  not  merely  from  a  selfish  concern  for  his 
own  safety,  but  from  a  regard  to  God,  to  which  he  was 
before  a  stranger ; — from  a  conviction  that  his  whole 
deportment  and  the  ruling  tempers  of  his  heart  have 
been  evil  and  desperately  wicked.  The  language  of  a 
true  Scripture  penitent  is  such  as  this  j  "  I  acknowledge 
my  transgression,  and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me :  mine 
iniquities  are  gone  over  my  head  j  as  a  heavy  burden, 
they  are  too  heavy  for  me;  Deliver  me  from  all  my 
transgressions ;  let  not  my  sins  have  dominion  over  me. 
Innumerable  evils  have  compassed  me  about  j  mine  ini¬ 
quities  have  taken  hold  upon  me,  so  that  I  am  not  able 
to  look  up :  they  are  more  than  the  hairs  of  mine  head, 
therefore  my  heart  faileth  me.  Be  pleased,  0  Lord,  to 
deliver  me.  0  Lord,  make  haste  to  help  me.”  The  true 
penitent  mourns  on  account  of  all  his  lusts,  and  hates 
them  all  j  he  is  not  willing  that  any  should  be  spared, 
though  they  were  dear  as  a  right  hand  or  a  right  eye. 

How  great  and  apparent  is  the  difference  between  be¬ 
ing  struck  with  fear,  restrained  by  terror,  or  driven 
from  a  course  of  sinning  by  the  lashes  of  an  awakened 
conscience  : — between  this,  I  say,  and  loathing  ourselves 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 


187 


in  our  own  sight  for  all  our  iniquities,  vehemently  de¬ 
siring  grace  and  strength  to  conquer  and  mortify  cor¬ 
ruption,  and  to  be  delivered  from  the  tyrannous  rule  of 
sin !  The  former  is  merely  the  sordid  fruit  of  self-love, 
which  compels  the  soul  to  flee  from  danger  ;  the  latter, 
the  exercise  of  a  vital  principle,  which  separates  the 
soul  from  sin,  and  engages  the  whole  man  in  a  perse¬ 
vering  opposition  to  it. 

Secondly.  False  repentance  dishonors  God,  by  refus¬ 
ing ,  under  all  its  distracting  fears,  to  trust  to  his  mercy. 
It  is  full  of  unbelief,  though  the  Gospel  has  provided  a 
glorious  relief  for  e  very  guilty,  ruined  sinner,  and  opened 
a  blessed  door  of  hope  even  for  those  whose  sins  are  . 
red  as  scarlet  \  though  pardon  and  salvation  are  freely 
offered  to  every  one  that  is  weary  and  heavy  laden  with 
the  guilt  and  defilement  of  sin ;  though  the  blood  of 
Christ  is  sufficient  to  cleanse  from  all  sins,  however  cir¬ 
cumstanced,  however  aggravated  they  may  he  :  the  false 
penitent,  alas !  sees  no  safety  in  this  refuge.  The  law 
of  God  challenges  his  obedience  and  condemns  his  dis¬ 
obedience  \  conscience  concurs  both  with  the  precept 
and  sentence  of  the  law.  To  pacify  conscience,  to  sa¬ 
tisfy  God’s  justice,  and  to  lay  a  foundation  of  future 
hope,  he  has  recourse  to  resolutions,  to  promises,  to  at¬ 
tempts  of  new  and  better  obedience,  to  penances,  and 
to  a  variety  of  self-righteous  schemes.  The  defect  of  his 
endeavors  and  attainments  creates  new  terrors ;  these 
terrors  excite  new  endeavors  \  and  thus  the  false  peni¬ 
tent  goes  on,  notwithstanding  the  greatness  of  his  sor¬ 
row  and  the  pain  of  his  conviction,  seeking  righteous¬ 
ness  by  his  own  works,  and  afraid  to  trust  in  the  mercy 
of  God  through  the  blood  of  his  Son.  He  may,  it  is 
true,  have  some  sort  of  feeble  regard  to  Christ,  so  as  to 
use  his  name  in  his  prayers  for  pardon,  though  he  dare 
not  depend  upon  the  merits  of  his  blood,  and  upon  the 
love  of  God  manifested  in  him  for  the  remission  of  his 


188 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


sins.  Yet  even  this  regard  itself  is  built  upon  the  secret 
hope  that  his  reformation  and  performances  will  come 
in  aid  to  purchase  the  favor  of  God,  which  he  cannot 
confide  in  as  freely  promised,  for  Christ’s  sake,  to  every 
humbled  sinner.  It  is  in  effect  a  disparagement  of  the 
Redeemer,  as  if  he  knew  not  how  to  have  compassion 
on  him  till  he  was  recommended  by  some  attainments 
in  holiness. 

Now  take  a  view  of  true  repentance,  and  you  will 
find  the  character  of  it  to  be  directly  opposite  to  that 
mentioned  above.  The  true  penitent  approaches  God 
with  a  deep  impression  of  his  guilt,  and  of  his  just  de¬ 
ssert  of  eternal  rejection:  but  then  he  comes  before  a 
mercy-seat,  though  he  acknowledges  that  if  God  should 
mark  iniquity  he  could  not  stand  before  him ;  he  re¬ 
members  that  "  with  God  there  is  forgiveness  that  he 
may  be  feared and  that  "  with  him  there  is  plenteous 
redemption.”  He  looks  to  the  blood  of  Christ  as  alone 
able  to  cleanse  his  soul,  and  take  away  the  curse  due 
to  his  numerous  and  aggravated  sins,  and  from  this  he 
takes  encouragement  to  mourn  before  God,  expressing 
himself  in  the  Psalmist’s  language,  "  Wash  me  thorough¬ 
ly  from  mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin  ; — 
purge  me  with  hyssop  and  I  shall  be  clean,  wash  me 
and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow.”  This  is  thd\  prayer 
which  both  encourages  his  cries  for  mercy  and  embit¬ 
ters  to  him  all  his  sins  ;  this  it  is  which  makes  him 
loathe  them  all  and  long  for  deliverance  from  them. 

"  Is  God  infinitely  merciful  and  ready  to  forgive,” 
(saith  the  true  penitent,)  "  and  have  I  been  so  basely 
ungrateful  as  to  sin  against  such  astonishing  goodness, 
to  affront  and  abuse  such  mercy  and  love  I  Is  sin  so 
hateful  to  God  that  he  punished  it  even  in  the  person 
of  his  dear  Son  when  he  made  him  an  atonement  for 
sin  1  How  vile  and  abominable  must  I  appear  in  the 
eyes  of  his  holiness  and  justice,  who  am  nothing  but 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 


189 


defilement  and  guilt !  Has  the  blessed  Savior  suffered 
the  Father’s  wrath  for  my  sins'!  Have  they  nailed  him 
to  the  cross  and  brought  him  under  the  agonies  of  an 
accursed  death;  and  shall  I  be  ever  reconciled  to  my 
lusts  any  more  1  Have  I  dishonored  God  so  much  al¬ 
ready,  loaded  his  dear  Son  with  so  many  horrible  indig¬ 
nities,  and  brought  such  a  weight  of  guilt  upon  myself; 
and  is  it  not  now  high  time  to  divorce  my  most  beloved 
lusts,  those  great  enemies  to  God  and  my  own  soul  1” 

Here  you  must  perceive  the  great  difference,  and 
even  contrariety,  between  a  guilty  fleeing  from  God,  like 
that  of  Adam  after  his  fall,  and  an  humbling  self-con¬ 
demning  approach  to  God’s  pardoning  mercy,  like  the 
prodigal’s,  when  returning  to  his  much-injured  father: 
between  slavish  and  proud  endeavors  to  atone  for  your 
sins,  and  make  your  peace  with  God  by  your  own  righ¬ 
teousness,  and  repairing  only  to  the  blood  of  Christ  to 
cleanse  you  from  all  sin  ;  between  mourning  for  your 
guilt  and  danger,  and  mourning  for  your  sins  as  the 
basest  injury  to  God  and  Christ,  to  mercy  and  love 
manifested  in  the  most  endearing  manner  :  in  a  word, 
between  attempting  a  new  life  by  the  strength  of  your 
own  resolutions  and  endeavors,  and  looking  only  to 
the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  grace  and 
strength,  as  well  as  for  pardon  and  freedom  from 
condemnation. 

...  * 

Thirdly.  In  false  repentance  there  still  remains  an 
aversion  to  God  and  his  holy  law ;  but  in  true  repent¬ 
ance  there  is  a  love  to  both.  The  distress  and  terror 
which  awakened  sinners  feel  arise  from  dreadful  appre¬ 
hensions  of  God  and  his  justice :  they  know  that  they 
have  greatly  provoked  him  ;  they  are  afraid  of  his  wrath, 
and  therefore  want  some  covert :  they  might  before, 
perhaps,  have  had  some  pleasing  apprehensions  of  God, 
while  they  considered  him  as  altogether  mercy,  and  so 
long  as  they  could  hope  for  pardon,  and  yet  live  in  their 


190 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


sins ;  but  now  that  they  have  some  idea  of  his  holiness 
and  justice,  he  appears  an  infinite  enemy.  They  are 
consulting,  therefore,  some  way  to  be  at  peace  with 
him,  because  they  are  afraid  the  controversy  will  issue 
in  their  destruction.  Upon  this  account  they  resolve  on 
new  obedience  from  the  same  motives  that  slaves  obey 
their  severe  tyrannical  masters,  though  the  rule  of  their 
obedience  is  directly  contrary  to  the  inclinations  of 
their  minds.  Were  the  penalty  of  the  law  taken  away, 
their  aversion  to  it  would  quickly  appear.  They  would 
soon  again  embrace  their  beloved  lusts  with  the  same 
pleasure  and  delight  as  formerly.  Is  not  the  truth  of 
this  assertion  frequently,  alas !  exemplified  in  those 
who  wear  off  their  convictions  and  reformations  toge¬ 
ther  ;  and,  notwithstanding  their  appearances  of  reli¬ 
gion,  discover  the  alienation  of  their  hearts  from  God 
and  his  law,  and  show  themselves,  as  the  apostle  ex¬ 
presses  it,  "  enemies  in  their  minds,  by  wicked  works  I” 
The  true  penitent,  on  the  contrary,  sees  an  admirable 
beauty  and  excellency  in  a  life  of  holiness,  and  there¬ 
fore  strives  for  higher  attainments  in  it.  He  is  sensible 
how  much  he  has  transgressed  the  law  of  God,  and 
how  very  far  he  has  departed  from  the  purity  and  holi¬ 
ness  of  the  divine  nature  :  this  is  the  burden  of  his  soul ; 
hence  it  is  that  he  walks  in  heaviness.  He  mourns,  not 
because  the  law  is  so  strict  or  the  penalty  so  severe,  for 
he  esteems  the  law  to  be  holy,  and  the  commandment 
holy,  just  and  good :  but  he  mourns,  that  though  the 
law  is  spiritual  he  is  carnal,  sold  under  sin  j  he  mourns 
that  his  nature  is  so  contrary  to  God,  that  his  practice 
has  been  so  opposite  to  his  will,  and  that  he  makes  no 
better  progress  in  mortifying  the  deeds  of  the  flesh, 
and  in  regulating  his  affections  by  the  word  of  God. 
The  true  penitent  is  breathing  with  the  same  earnest¬ 
ness  after  sanctification,  as  after  deliverance  from  the 
wrath  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  unrighteous- 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 


191 


ness :  he  wants  not  to  have  the  law  bend  to  his  corrup¬ 
tions,  but  to  have  his  heart  and  life  fully  subjected  to 
the  law  of  God;  there  is  nothing  he  so  much  desires, 
after  an  interest  in  Christ  and  the  favor  of  God,  as  a 
freedom  from  sin,  a  proficiency  in  faith  and  holiness, 
a  life  of  communion  and  fellowship  with  God.  "  What 
a  corrupt,  evil  heart  (he  says)  have  I :  so  estranged  from 
the  holy  nature  of  God  and  his  righteous  law !  what  a 
most  guilty  wretch  have  I  been,  who  have  walked  so 
contrary  to  the  glorious  God,  who  have  trampled  upon 
his  excellent  perfections  and  have  made  so  near  an  ap¬ 
proach  to  the  practice  and  spirit  of  a  devil !  Create  a 
clean  heart,  O  God!  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within 
me  ;  purify  this  sink  of  pollution,  and  sanctify  these 
depraved  affections  of  my  soul.  O  that  my  ways  were 
made  so  direct  that  I  might  keep  thy  statutes !  O  let 
me  not  wander  from  thy  commandments;  but  deal 
bountifully  with  thy  servant,  that  I  may  live  and  keep 
thy  word.” 

Such  as  these  are  the  desires  of  every  true  penitent, 
and  from  hence  you  may  plainly  discover  the  great  dif 
ference  between  him  and  a  false  penitent.  The  one 
looks  upon  God  with  dread,  terror  and  aversion ;  the 
other  mourns  his  distance  from  him,  and  earnestly  de¬ 
sires  to  be  transformed  into  his  likeness.  The  one  still 
loves  his  sins  in  his  heart,  though  he  mourns  there  is  a 
law  to  punish  them  ;  the  other  hates  all  his  sins  without 
reserve,  and  is  weary  under  the  burden  of  them,  because 
they  are  contrary  to  God  and  his  holy  law.  The  obe¬ 
dience  of  the  one  is  by  mere  constraint ;  the  imperfec¬ 
tions  of  the  other  are  matter  of  continual  humiliation, 
so  as  to  make  him  aspire  after  greater  degrees  of  grace 
and  holiness.  The  one  can  find  no  inward  and  abiding 
complacency  in  the  service  of  God;  the  other  accounts 
it  his  happiness,  and  thinks' no  joy  equal  to  that  of  pure 
obedience.  > 


COMILETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


192 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


REPJEJrT'&JVCE.— continued. 


ITS  NATURE  FURTHER  EXPLAINED. 

True  repentance  being  the  foundation  of  all  Christian 
piety,  it  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  that  we  should 
be  thoroughly  instructed  in  its  nature.  We  have  en¬ 
deavored  therefore  to  make  you  fully  acquainted  with 
it,  by  contrasting  it  with  that  false  repentance  which  is 
principally  liable  to  be  confounded  with  it.  False  re¬ 
pentance,  we  have  observed,  is  excited  by  terror ;  true 
repentance  is  the  effect  of  a  just  sense  of  the  evil  of 
sin,  and  a  love  to  the  blessed  God.  False  repentance  is 
full  of  unbelief:  true,  is  animated  with  confidence  by 
a  Savior’s  promises,  and  inspired  with  gratitude  to  him. 
False  repentance  is  consistent  with  an  aversion  to  God 
and  his  law,  while  the  true  sees  an  infinite  beauty  in 
holiness,  and  loves  the  commandments  of  God.  Thus 
in  their  origin  and  nature  they  differ  essentially  from 
each  other,  nor  shall  we  perceive  a  difference  less 
striking  if  we  attend  to  the  progress  and  effects  of 
each. 

1.  False  repentance  wears  off  with  the  alarming  con¬ 
victions  which  gave  occasion  to  it ;  but  true  repentance 
is  permanent.  We  have  many  sad  instances  of  persons 
who  appear  for  a  season  under  the  greatest  remorse  for 
their  sins ;  yet  all  these  impressions  are  soon  effaced, 
and  they  return  to  the  same  course  of  impiety  or  sen¬ 
suality,  which,  they  confess,  produced  so  much  distress 
and  terror.  They  declare  to  the  world  that  their  good 


< 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE.  193 

resolutions  were  but  as  a  morning  cloud,  or  as  an  early 
dew.  Besides  these,  there  are  many  of  another  charac¬ 
ter,  who  quiet  their  consciences  and  speak  peace  to  their 
souls,  from  their  having  been  in  distress  and  terror  for 
their  sins,  from  their  reformation  of  some  grosser  im¬ 
moralities,  and  from  a  formal  course  of  duty.  They 
have  repented,  they  think,  and  therefore  conclude  them¬ 
selves  at  peace  with  God,  and  seem  to  have  no  great 
care  and  concern  either  about  their  former  impieties  or 
their  daily  transgressions.  They  conclude  themselves 
in  a  converted  state,  and  are  therefore  lukewarm  and 
secure.  Many  of  these  may  think,  and  perhaps  speak 
loudly  of  their  experiences,  and  be  even  elated  with 
joyful  apprehensions  of  their  safe  state ;  whilst,  alas  ! 
they  have  no  impressions  of  their  sins,  no  mourning 
after  pardon,  no  humiliation  under  remaining  and  mani¬ 
fold  corruptions,  imperfect  duties,  and  renewed  provo¬ 
cations  against  God.  There  are  many  also,  it  might 
still  further  be  added,  who,  while  under  the  stings  of  an 
awakened  conscience,  are  driven  to  maintain  a  diligent 
watch  over  their  hearts  and  lives,  to  be  afraid  of  every 
sin,  to  be  careful  to  attend  to  every  known  duty,  and  to 
be  serious  and  earnest  in  the  performance  of  it;  but  by 
their  supposed  progress  in  religion  they  gradually  es¬ 
cape  from  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  then  their  watch¬ 
fulness  and  tenderness  of  conscience  are  forgotten. 
They  perform  their  duties  in  a  careless  manner,  with  a 
trifling  remiss  frame  of  soul ;  whilst  the  all-important 
realities  of  an  eternal  world  are  but  little  in  their  minds, 
and  all  their  religion  is  reduced  to  a  mere  cold  formali¬ 
ty.  They  still  maintain  the  form,  but  are  unconcerned 
about  the  power  of  godliness.  In  some  such  manner 
false  repentance  leaves  the  soul  destitute  of  that  entire 
change  and  renovation  without  which  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord. 

On  the  other  hand,  true  repentance  is  a  lasting  princi- 

9 


Duty  of  Man. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


pie  of  humble  self-abasing  mourning  for  sin,  and  abhor¬ 
rence  of  all  remaining  corruption.  A  true  penitent  does 
not  forget  his  past  sins,  and  grow  unconcerned  about 
them  as  soon  as  he  obtains  peace  in  his  conscience  and 
a  comfortable  hope  that  he  is  reconciled  to  God ;  on 
the  contrary,  the  clearer  the  evidence  he  obtains  of  the 
divine  favor,  the  more  does  he  loathe,  abhor,  and  con¬ 
demn  himself  for  his  sins ;  the  more  aggravated  and 
enormous  do  they  appear  to  him.  He  not  only  continues 
to  abhor  himself  on  account  of  his  past  guilt  and  defile 
ment,  but  he  finds  daily  cause  to  renew  his  repentance 
before  God :  he  observes  so  much  deadness,  formality 
and  hypocrisy,  mixing  themselves  with  his  holy  duties ; 
such  frequent  workings  of  a  carnal,  worldly,  unbeliev¬ 
ing  spirit ;  so  much  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  perfect  mas¬ 
tery  over  the  sin  which  easily  besets  him,  that  he  can¬ 
not  but  "  groan,  being  burdened.”  Repentance,  there¬ 
fore,  is  a  daily  continued  exercise  till  mortality  is  swal¬ 
lowed  up  of  life ;  he  will  not  cease  to  repent  till  he 
ceases  to  carry  about  with  him  so  many  imperfections 
and  failures,  and  that  will  not  be  till  he  departs  from 
this  fallen  world.  ”  Have  I  hope  (says  he)  that  God  has 
pardoned  my  sins  1  What  an  instance  of  mercy  is  this ! 
How  adorable  is  that  marvellous  grace  which  has  pluck¬ 
ed  such  a  brand  out  of  the  fire  !  And  am  I  still  so  cold, 
so  formal  and  lifeless,  doing  so  little  for  him  who  has 
done  so  much  for  me !  Ah,  vile,  sinful  heart !  Ah, 
base  ingratitude  to  such  amazing  goodness !  O  that  I 
could  obtain  more  victory  over  my  corruptions,  more 
thankfulness  for  such  mercies  as  I  have  received,  a 
frame  of  mind  more  spiritual  and  heavenly.  How  long 
have  I  been  mourning  over  my  infirmities,  and  must  I 
yet  have  cause  to  mourn  over  the  same  defects !  How 
often  designing  and  pursuing  a  closer  communion  with 
God  ;  but  what  a  poor  progress  do  I  yet  make,  save  in 
desires  and  endeavors!  How  long  would  the  iniquities 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE.  195 

of  my  best  duties  separate  betwixt  God  and  my  soul  for 
ever,  had  I  not  the  Redeemer’s  merits  to  plead !  What 
need  have  I  every  day  to  have  this  polluted  soul  washed 
in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  to  repair  to  the  glorious 
Advocate  with  the  Father  for  the  benefit  of  his  interces¬ 
sion  !  Not  a  step  can  I.  take  in  my  spiritual  progress 
without  fresh  supplies  from  the  Fountain  of  grace  and 
strength  ;  and  yet  how  often  am  I  provoking  him  to 
withdraw  his  influence,  in  whom  is  all  my  hope  and  con¬ 
fidence  !  O  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver 
me  from  the  body  of  this  death  t” 

Thus,  the  true  penitent,  in  his  highest  attainments  of 
holiness,  comfort  and  joy,  will  find  cause  to  be  deeply 
humbled  before  God,  and  to  make  earnest  application 
for  fresh  pardon  and  new  supplies  of  strengthening  and 
quickening  grace.  The  difference,  therefore,  betwixt 
these  two  sorts  of  penitents  is  very  apparent :  it  is  as 
great  as  that  between  the  running  of  water  in  the  paths 
after  a  violent  shower,  and  the  streams  which  flow  from 
a  living  fountain.  A  false  repentance  has  grief  of  mind 
and  humiliation  only  for  great  and  glaring  offences,  or 
till  it  supposes  pardon  for  them  obtained.  True  repent¬ 
ance  is  a  continued  war  against  all  the  defilements  of 
sin,  till  death  sounds  the  retreat. 

2.  Again,  false  repentance,  at  most,  produces  only  a 
partial  reformation  ;  but  the  true  repentance  i.s  a  change 
of  heart ,  a  universal  turning  from  sin  to  God.  As  some 
particular  or  more  gross  iniquity  generally  excites  that 
distress  and  terror  which  is  the  life  of  false  repentance, 
so  a  reformation  with  respect  to  those  sins  too  fre¬ 
quently  wears  off  the  impression  and  gives  rest  to  the 
troubled  conscience  without  any  further  change.  Or  at 
best  there  will  be  some  darling  lust  retained,  some  right 
hand  or  right  eye  spared.  If  the  false  penitent  is  afraid 
of  sins  of  commission,  he  will  still  live  in  the  omission 
or  careless  performance  of  known  duty,  and  feel  no 


196 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


guilt.  Or  if  he  be  very  zealous  for  the  duties  respecting 
the  immediate  worship  of  God,  he  will  live  in  strife,  in¬ 
justice  and  uncharitableness  towards  men.  If  he  show 
some  activity  in  contending  earnestly  for  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel,  he  'will  still  have  his  heart  and  affections 
riveted  to  the  world,  and  pursue  it  as  the  object  of  his 
chief  desire  and  delight.  If  he  should  make  conscience 
of  opposing  all  open  actual  sins ;  yet  he  little  regards 
the  sins  of  his  heart, — silent  envy,  secret  pride,  self¬ 
preference,  unbelief,  or  some  such  heart-defiling  sins. 
To  finish  his  character ;  whatever  progress  he  may 
seem  to  make  in  religion,  his  heart  is  still  estranged 
from  the  power  of  godliness,  and,  like  the  Laodiceans, 
he  is  neither  hot  nor  cold. 

If  we  proceed  to  take  a  view  of  the  character  of  a 
true  penitent,  it  is  directly  contrary  to  this.  He  finds 
indeed  (as  has  been  observed)  continual  occasion  to  la¬ 
ment  the  great  imperfections  of  his  heart  and  life,  and 
accordingly  seeks  renewed  pardon  in  the  blood  of  Christ. 
But  though  he  has  not  already  attained,  neither  is  al¬ 
ready  perfect,  yet  he  is  pressing  towards  perfection. 
He  is  watching  and  striving  against  all  his  corruptions, 
and  laboring  after  further  conformity  to  God  in  all  holy 
conversation  and  godliness.  He  does  not  renounce  one 
lust  and  retain  another ;  or  satisfy  himself  with  devo¬ 
tional  duties  whilst  he  undervalues  scrupulous  honesty 
and  unfeigned  benevolence:  he  cannot  rest  till  this  is 
his  rejoicing,  "  even  the  testimony  of  his  conscience, 
that  in  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  not  with  fleshly 
wisdom,  but  by  the  grace  of  God,  he  has  his  conversa¬ 
tion  in  the  world.”  All  the  workings  of  his  mind,  as  wTell 
as  his  external  conduct,  fall  under  his  cognizance  and 
inspection,  and  his  daily  exercise  and  desire  is  to  ap¬ 
prove  himself  unto  Him  who  knows  his  thoughts  afar 
off.  His  reformation  extends  not  only  to  the  devotion 
of  the  church,  but  to  that  of  his  family  and  closet ;  not 


NATURE  OF  TRUE  REPENTANCE. 


197 


only  to  his  conversation,  but  to  his  tempers  and  affec¬ 
tions,  and  to  the  duties  of  every  relation  he  sustains 
among  men.  His  repentance  brings  forth  its  "  meet  ” 
fruits, — heavenly-mindedness,  humility,  meekness,  cha¬ 
rity,  patience,  forgiveness  of  injuries,  self-denial ;  and  is 
accompanied  with  all  other  graces  of  the  blessed  Spirit. 

"  It  is  the  desire  of  my  soul  (saith  the  true  penitent) 
to  refrain  my  feet  from  every  evil  way,  and  walk  within 
my  house  with  a  perfect  heart.  I  know  I  have  to  do 
with  a  God  that  trieth  the  heart,'  and  hath  pleasure  in 
uprightness ;  I  would,  therefore,  set  the  Lord  always 
before  me.  I  know  that  my  heart  is  deceitful  above  all 
things  and  desperately  wicked,  for  which  I  am  humbled 
in  mine  OAvn  eyes;  but  yet  my  desire  is  before  the  Lord, 
and  my  groaning  is  not  hid  from  him.  I  can  truly  say 
that  I  hate  vain  thoughts,  but  God’s  law  do  I  love.  O 
that  God  would  give  me  understanding  that  I  may  keep 
his  law,  and  observe  it  with  my  whole  heart.  I  would 
serve  God  without  any  reserve,  for  I  esteem  his  precepts 
concerning  all  things  to  be  right,  and  I  have  inclined  my 
heart  to  keep  his  statutes  always,  even  unto  the  end.” 

3.  Once  more  :  false  repentance  basely  yields  to  the 
fear  of  man ;  whilst  true  repentance  is  full  of  boldness 
and  courage  for  God.  Thousands,  in  obedience  to  the 
calls  and  warnings  they  have  received,  begin  seeming¬ 
ly  to  repent ;  but,  loving  the  praise  of  men,  and  not  be¬ 
ing  able  to  endure  the  contempt  and  revilings  of  the 
hypocritical  and  profane,  for  their  attachment  to  God, 
turn  aside  from  the  holy  commandment.  Their  own 
family,  the  persons  with  whom  they  are  connected,  or 
on  whom  they  depend,  must  at  all  hazards  be  respected 
and  pleased.  No  sinful  ways  therefore  must  be  con-* 
demned  with  abhorrence  that  may  risk  the  favor  of 
those  who  can  do  them  so  much  service  or  injury  in 
the  world. 

The  true  penitent,  on  the  contrary,  will  carefully 


198 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


avoid  every  temptation  to  past  offences,  and  every  oc¬ 
casion  that  might  endanger  a  relapse.  He  will  not  dis¬ 
semble,  he  will  not  conform  so  far  to  the  world  as  to 
be  found  where  temptation  appears  in  its  most  inviting 
forms  ;  and  where  the  studied  end  of  the  assembly  or 
amusement  is  such  as  diverts  the  thoughts  from  God 
and  eternity.  In  like  manner,  for  conscience,  sake  he 
will  forego  temporal  advantages ;  and  break  through 
the  ties  even  of  sweetest  friendship,  and  of  nearest  kin¬ 
dred,  rather  than  be  drawn  back  by  either  into  his  for¬ 
mer  neglect  and  contempt  of  duty.  He  will  walk  cir¬ 
cumspectly,  with  a  godly  jealousy  over  all  things  and 
persons  connected  with  him,  lest  any  of  them  should 
prove  a  snare  or  a  hinderance  to  him  in  the  way  to  eter¬ 
nal  life,  now  opened  before  his  eyes.  It  is  his  steadfast 
purpose,  lose  or  suffer  what  he  may,  to  wage  eternal 
war  with  the  prevailing  errors  and  favorite  sins  that 
abound  in  the  world,  and  to  say  to  all  the  insinuating 
advocates  for  them,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  wicked,  I 
will  keep  the  commandments  of  my  God.” 

In  short,  in  these  important  particulars  lies  the  differ¬ 
ence  between  false  and  true  repentance.  The  former  is 
only  an  external  reformation,  destitute  of  all  the  graces 
of  the  blessed  Spirit :  the  latter,  a  change  of  the  heart, 
will  and  affections,  as  well  as  of  the  outward  conversa¬ 
tion  ;  a  change  which  is  attended  with  all  the  fruits  and 
graces  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  False  repentance  aims  at 
just  so  much  religion  as  will  keep  the  mind  easy  and  calm 
the  awakened  conscience  :  true  repentance  aims  ever  to 
walk  before  God  in  an  humble,  watchful,  believing  frame 
#of  soul.  The  former  will  obey  the  law  and  command  of 
God  just  as  far  as  the  world  will  permit  without  perse¬ 
cution  or  reproach  :  the  latter,  with  an  invincible  regard 
to  the  glory  of  God,  is  willing  to  go  through  evil  report 
and  good  report,  content  with  the  approbation  of  God, 
let  men  think  or  say  what  they  please. 


OBLIGATION  TO  REPENTANCE. 


199 


CHAPTER  XX. 


REFEJ%'T.frJ%*CE.—con  United. 


ITS  UNIVERSAL  OBLIGATION,  AND  DIRECTIONS  TO  ATTAIN  IT. 


If  the  word  of  God  were  received  with  that  degree 
of  deference  which  is  so  justly  due  to  it,  there  would 
be  no  necessity  for  stating  more  than  the  simple  decla¬ 
ration  of  Scripture  which  requires  all  men  to  repent,  in 
order  to  show  the  universal  obligation  of  true  repent¬ 
ance.  But,  alas  !  it  is  too  common  to  form  our  judg¬ 
ment  of  duty  from  the  general  practice  of  a  careless 
world,  or  from  hasty  and  erroneous  conceptions  of  the 
nature  of  virtue,  rather  than  from  the  oracles  of  truth. 
In  direct  contradiction  to  the  Scripture  declarations,  it 
has  been  a  prevailing  opinion,  that  those  alone  need  re¬ 
pentance,  whose  abominations  every  eye  can  see,  whose 
lewdness  or  drunkenness,  dishonesty  or  profaneness, 
are  open  and  excessive.  Ignorant  of  the  natural  depra 
vity  and  apostacy  of  the  whole  human  race  from  God, 
or  proudly  prejudiced  against  this  doctrine,  the  world 
supposes  that  much  evil  must  actually  be  practised  be¬ 
fore  a  total  change  of  heart  and  life  can  become  abso¬ 
lutely  necessary. 

To  speak  more  particularly  ;  a  young  gentleman  who 
has  been  sober  and  dutiful  to  his  parents,  well  esteemed 
abroad  and  commended  at  home,  kept  by  the  affluence 
of  his  station  from  the  temptation  of  doing  what  is  ac¬ 
counted  base  before  men,  is  apt  so  to  over-rate  his  own 
sober  conduct  as  to  suppose  he  has  no  occasion  for  any 
godly  sorrow  or  trouble  of  mind  in  the  view  of  his  own 
transgressions.  He  is  apt  to  conclude  that  you  degrade 


200 


CO.UL’LETE  DUTY  OF  MAJN. 


his  character  by  calling  him  to  the  exercise  of  serious 
repentance. 

In  the  same  manner,  a  young  lady,  born  to  inherit 
wealth,  educated  to  be  affable  and  polite,  to  love  peace 
and  harmony,  cannot  be  guilty  of  any  thing  the  world 
calls  sinful,  except  by  doing  violence  to  all  the  restraints 
of  modesty,  decency  and  character.  Of  consequence, 
self-pleasing  thoughts  of  her  own  innocency  and  good¬ 
ness  hold  a  firm  possession  of  her  mind.  She  cannot 
believe  that  it  is  necessary  for  a  person  of  her  good 
character  to  feel  shame  and  sorrow  for  sin,  and  a  broken 
contrite  heart,  or  to  seek  after  any  such  change  as  scrip 
tural  repentance  met  ns. 

But  notwithstanding  the  attempts  of  many  celebrated 
and  learned  advocates  for  the  innocency  of  such  amiable 
characters,  the  Scripture,  which  must  prevail  at  last  as 
the  only  true  standard  of  what  is  excellent, — the  Scrip¬ 
ture  "has  concluded  all  under  sin.”  It  is  therefore  a 
most  certain  truth  that  sober,  decent  and  dutiful  as  you 
may  be  in  the  eyes  of  parents,  relations  and  friends ; 
yet  if  you  are  ignorant  of  any  divine  change,  and  a 
stranger  to  those  inward  effectual  workings  which  con¬ 
stitute  Scripture  repentance,  you  are  far  from  being  in 
a  state  of  innocency  or  safety  :  a  charge  of  great  guilt 
stands  in  full  force  against  you, — a  charge  which  makes 
repentance  as  absolutely  needful  for  you  as  if  your  ini¬ 
quities  were  of  a  more  glaring  kind.  This  charge  shall 
now  be  made  good. 

Let  it  then  be  supposed  that  you  are  a  young  person, 
m  the  eyes  of  the  world  lovely  in  your  whole  deport¬ 
ment  ;  let  it  be  supposed  that  not  a  relation  or  a  friend 
sees  any  thing  in  you  to  be  amended;  yet  consider,  O 
much  admired  youth !  how  your  heart  is  affected  to¬ 
wards  Him  who  made,  preserves  and  blesses  you ;  from 
whose  bounty  you  have  received  all  those  endowments, 
the  cultivation  of  which  makes  you  the  agreeable  person 


OBLIGATION  TO  REPENTANCE. 


201 


you  are.  Do  you  fear  and  do  you  love  him  1  Do  you 
make  conscience  of  employing  your  time,  your  talents, 
your  influence,  as  he  has  commanded  you  to  do  1  Are 
you  afraid  of  conformity  to  the  manners  and  tempers  of 
the  world,  and  jealous  of  friendship  with  it  as  enmity 
against  God  1  Do  you  hear  his  word  with  reverence, 
and  in  the  solemn  time  of  prayer  labor  to  check  every 
impertinent  vain  thought  \  Are  you  restrained  in  your 
conversation  by  his  law,  from  giving  in  to  that  fashion¬ 
able  way  of  discourse,  which  at  once  indulges  and 
strengthens  pride,  sensuality  or  covetousness  1  Are  you 
desirous  to  live  in  subjection  to  God,  and  careful  to  in¬ 
form  yourself  what  he  would  have  you  to  do  1  Is  your 
dependence  continually  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for 
righteousness  and  strength  I 

If  conscience  witnesses  against  you  that  you  are  a 
stranger  to  such  intentions  and  dispositions,  (and  thus 
it  does  witness,  unless  you  have  truly  repented,)  then, 
however  admired,  however  in  reality  more  serious  and 
sober  than  those  of  your  own  age,  certainly  your  wdiole 
life  has  been  sin  and  provocation,  perpetually  repeated : 
because  it  has  been  entirely  under  the  guidance  of  a 
depraved  mind.  Your  study  and  aim  has  been  to  please 
yourself,  and  to  please  men,  whilst  the  holy  will  of 
God  and  his  honor  have  scarce  had  any  place  in  your 
thoughts.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  decent  regard  you 
have  been  paying  to  every  one  about  you,  God  has 
cause  to  complain  that  he  only  has  been  treated  by  you 
with  dissimulation  and  neglect,  if  not  with  scorn.  But 
now,  if  the  fact  really  be  so,  that  you  have  dissembled 
with  God,  neglected  and  despised  him;  is  it  not  a  vain 
plea  against  the  necessity  of  repentance,  to  say  that 
you  are  innocent  of  the  common  vices  of  youth,  and 
have  an  unblemished  character  1  For  is  not  this  charge 
of  sinfulness  in  your  behavior  towards  the  Most  High 
God  sufficiently  comprehensive,  both  in  the  eye  of 

9* 


202 


COMPLETE 'DUTY  OF  MAN. 


reason  and  Scripture,  to  prove  the  necessity  of  your 
feeling  deep  humiliation  and  self-abhorrence  1  Does  it 
not  make  an  entire  renovation  of  mind  absolutely  need 
full  or  can  any  one  be  absurd  enough  to  suppose  that 
the  guilt  of  withholding  all  esteem,  desire  and  affection 
from  God,  is  in  a  manner  cancelled  by  an  amiable  de¬ 
portment  to  brothers  or  sisters,  relations  or  friends  1 
If  a  sense  of  your  obligations  to  God  as  your  Creator, 
Redeemer  and  Sanctifier,  has  no  share  in  directing  your 
pursuits  and  modelling  your  affections;  the  difference 
with  respect  to  God  must  be  of  very  little  account, 
whether  your  reigning  self-love  be  gratified  in  a  way 
more  reputable  amongst  men,  rather  than  in  one  which 
would  expose  you  as  well  to  shame  here,  as  to  the 
wrath  of  God  hereafter.  In  the  one  case  as  well  as  the 
other,  there  is  no  sense  of  God,  no  practice  of  your  du¬ 
ty  towards  him ;  and,  therefore,  unless  true  repentance 
takes  place,  you  still  remain  an  apostate  creature,  in¬ 
volved  in  all  the  capital  guilt  and  misery  of  the  fall ; 
you  remain  a  creature  setting  up  your  own  will  above 
the  law  of  God;  consequently  if  you  die  under  the  pow¬ 
er  of  such  a  spirit  you  must  perish  for  ever. 

Equally  vain  and  frivolous  is  it  (though  so  deplorably 
frequent)  for  men  to  confide  in  the  fidelity  and  justice 
with  which  they  trade,  or  in  the  general  benevolence  of 
their  character,  as  if  this  were  to  supersede  in  their  case 
the  necessity  of  repentance.  For  you  may  detest  every 
species  of  dishonesty  and  villany,  of  cruel  and  oppres¬ 
sive  deportment,  whilst  pride  and  self-sufficiency  reign 
undisturbed  in  your  soul ;  whilst  every  temper  by  which 
due  homage  is  paid  to  God  is  a  stranger  to  your  heart. 
Honesty  and  benevolence,  upon  whatever  principle  they 
are  exercised,  are  sure  to  be  applauded  by  selfish  men, 
yet  must  these  dispositions  be  the  offspring  of  an  hum¬ 
ble  heart  before  they  can  find  acceptance  with  God. 
Though  I  give  all  my  goods  to  the  poor,  unless  this  love 


OBLIGATION  TO  REPENTANCE. 


203 


of  my  neighbor  spring  from  love  to  God  (which  be¬ 
fore  true  repentance  can  have  no  place  in  my  heart)  it 
profiteth  me  nothing  ;  it  will  not  be  found  a  virtue  when 
weighed  in  the  balance  of  the  sanctuary.  So  far,  indeed, 
is  the  practice  of  social  duties  from  rendering  godly 
sorrow,  hidniliation  for  sin,  and  absolute  dependence 
upon  the  blood  of  Christ  unnecessary ;  that  the  haughty 
profane  imagination  of  its  doing  so,  as  much  needs 
mercy  to  pardon  it  as  the  grossest  act  of  injustice 
towards  men :  since  it  proves  the  whole  head  and 
heart,  which  could  give  place  to  such  a  thought,  utter 
ly  depraved. 

r  You  have  now  been  instructed  in  the  nature  of  true 
repentance,  and  the  indispensable  necessity  there  is 
that  every  fallen  creature  should  experience  that  entire 
change  of  judgment,  practice  and  affections  which  true 
repentance  implies.  I  would  flatter  myself,  therefore, 
that  your  conscience  is  now  in  some  degree  awakened  ; 
I  would  flatter  myself  that  you  have  an  earnest  desire 
to  be  informed  what  course  you  must  take  to  be  brought 
into  a  state  of  true  repentance :  if  this  be  your  desire, 
instead  of  multiplying  directions,  it  will  suffice  to  press 
you  to  observe  the  few  following : 

First.  Frequently  read  the  Scripture  with  seriousness 
and  unfeigned  submission  to  it  as  the  method  prescribed 
by  God  himself  for  your  recovery,  and  let  your  thoughts 
dwell  on  what  immediately  respects  your  own  case, 
that  is,  the  nature  and  workings  of  true  repentance. 
The  fifty-first  Psalm  will  unfold  to  you  the  heart  of  the 
penitent  contrite  David ;  and  the  fifteenth  of  St.  Luke 
the  affecting  return  of  a  sinner  in  your  own  condition 
to  his  much-injured  father.  The  same  inward  and  entire 
change  of  heart  is  described  at  large  in  the  fifth  chapter 
of  the  Ephesians,  and  in  the  sixth  also,  to  the  17th  verse. 
Upon  these  and  similar  portions  of  Scripture  yoir  must 
carefully  meditate.  In  this  study  of  the  Scriptures, 


204 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


humbly  imploring  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  you 
may  hope  to  receive  his  enlightening  influences,  to  find 
desires  after  God  springing  up  in  your  soul,  and  to 
feel  the  working  of  those  very  dispositions  towards 
him,  wrhich,  as  you  have  learned  from  his  own  word, 
denote  true  repentance. 

Secondly.  Consider  the  corruption  of  your  nature ,  and 
the  many  sins  you  have  actually  committed.  Only  com¬ 
mune  with  your  own  heart,  and  you  will  immediately 
find  your  inclinations  strongly  bent  to  many  things 
which  your  conscience  tells  you  ought  not  to  be  done  : 
and  that  you  have  a  great  aversion  to  other  things 
which  are  in  themselves  excellent,  and  ought  to  be  done 
by  you  ;  you  will  observe  a  miserable  confusion  and  in¬ 
consistency  in  your  thoughts,  a  perverseness  in  youi 
will,  and  a  prevailing  sensuality  in  your  affections. 

The  fruit  of  this  universal  depravity  you  must  also 
carefully  observe,  as  it  has  appeared  in  the  multitude 
of  your  transgressions.  Think  of  the  several  places 
you  have  lived  in,  and  what,  in  each  of  these,  your  sins 
have  been:  take  an  account  of  your  offences  against 
those  with  whom  you  have  transacted  business  or  con¬ 
versed  with  intimacy  and  friendship,  or  those  on  whom 
you  should  have  had  compassion  and  exercised  the 
most  tender  love :  mark  those  sins  which  have  arisen 
from  your  outward  circumstances  ;  and  above  all,  reflect 
deeply  on  what  is,  strictly  speaking,  your  own  iniquity, 
the  sin  to  which  you  are  most  enslaved,  whether  pas¬ 
sion,  envy,  unchastity,  pride  and  self-conceit,  lying,  the 
love  of  money  or  of  esteem :  take  notice  in  how  many 
instances  it  has  broken  out,  so  as  to  leave  uneasy  im¬ 
pressions  on  your  mind,  and  yet  has  been  again  and 
again  repeated :  after  this,  think  how  often  you  have 
stifled  convictions ;  how  often  turned  away  from  the 
offers  of  grace  and  calls  to  repentance :  think  of  your 
sins  against  a  Redeemer ;  reflect  how  long  you  have 


OBLIGATION  TO  REPENTANCE. 


205 


willingly.  lived  in  ignorance  of  his  undertaking,  disre¬ 
garding  his  obedience  unto  death,  his  atoning  sacrifice 
for  sin;  think  of  the  despite  you  have  done  against  the 
Holy  Spirit,  resisting  his  motions,  and  excusing  your¬ 
self  from  a  compliance  with  his  secret  suggestions. 
And  then,  at  the  end  of  all,  reckon  up  the  several  aggra¬ 
vations  of  your  sin,  the  judgments  and  afflictions,  the 
mercies  and  deliverances,  the  counsels  and  reproofs, 
the  light  and  knowledge,  the  vows  and  promises  against 
which  you  have  sinned. 

Thirdly.  You  must  pray  to  the  God  of  all  grace,  to 
give  you  repentance  unto  life.  Naturally  you  suppose 
that  you  will  have  a  disposition  to  repent  just  when 
you  please ;  at  least  you  suppose  the  alarming  circum¬ 
stances  of  sickness  and  approaching  death  will  of  them¬ 
selves  induce  you  to  repent.  But  this  is  a  vain  and 
proud  opinion,  which  experience  daily  proclaims  to  be 
without  foundation,  and  which  the  Bible  exposes  as 
false  to  every  attentive  reader,  by  calling  repentance 
"the  gift  of  God.”  For  to  produce  in  the  heart  an  abid¬ 
ing  sense  and  detestation  of  our  own  vileness,  with 
confidence  in  the  pardoning  mercy  of  God  through 
,  Christ,  with  a  zeal  for  his  glory  expressing  itself  in 
newness  of  life,  (which  alone  is  what  the  Bible  means 
by  repentance,)  to  produce  a  change  of  this  nature  be- 
.ongeth  only  to  the  effectual  working  of  God’s  Holy 
Spirit.  Self-love  and  pride,  with  all  their  force,  with¬ 
stand  the  charge  of  sinfulness  ;  every  natural  inclina¬ 
tion  of  the  soul  rises  up  in  arms,  and  opposes  with  all 
its  might  true  humiliation.  At  the  same  time,  without 
divine  light  and  supernatural  teaching,  we  shall  never 
discover  any  such  loveliness  in  a  just  and  sin-hating 
God,  or  in  obedience  to  his  law,  as  to  create  abhorrence 
of  sinful  lusts,  too  long  cherished  and  indulged  as  the 
sources  of  gratification  and  pleasure.  Therefore  it  is 
from  the  grace  of  God  alone,  the  fountain  of  every 


206 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


good  and  perfect  gift,  that  you  must  receive  repentance 
unto  life.  It  is  your  part,  as  a  reasonable  and  immortal 
creature,  to  hear  the  command  of  God  to  repent ;  and, 
as  a  helpless  sinner,  insufficient  to  every  good  work,  to 
rely  on  the  aids  of  his  almighty  Spirit,  that  you  may  be 
obedient  to  it.  It  is  your  part  meekly  to  confess  the 
aversion  of  your  heart  to  glorify  God  by  true  repent¬ 
ance,  and  to  beg  of  him  in  whose  hands  are  the  hearts 
of  all  men,  that  you  may  be  turned  to  him,  seeing  and 
bewailing  the  sin  of  your  nature  as  well  as  of  your 
practice,  of  your  heart  as  well  as  of  your  life,  and  de¬ 
siring  grace  to  approve  yourself  to  God,  in  newness  of 
spirit,  a  sincere  penitent. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CIIUIS  &  RACES  *11%' 19 

msposiTioirs. 

's  '*'*  '  :  ‘  ; 

DISPOSITIONS  OF  A  CHRISTIAN  TOWARDS  GOD - GODLY  FEAR 

- OBEDIENCE - GRATITUDE - TRUST - GLORIFYING  GOD - 

PURITY  OF  HEART. 

As  God  is  altogether  lovely  in  himself,  and  in  his  be¬ 
nefits  towards  us  inexpressibly  great,  so  nothing  can  be 
more  evident  than  that  he  ought  to  reign  in  our  affec¬ 
tions  without  a  rival.  But  to  yield  this  most  rightful 
worship  to  his  Creator,  man  is  naturally  averse :  and  it 
is  owing  only  to  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel, 
enforced  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  the 
Christian  renounces  his  natural  disaffection  to  his  Cre¬ 
ator,  and  glorifies  him  as  God. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


207 


"The  grace  of  God,”  saith  the  Scripture,  "which 
bringeth  salvation,  hath  appeared  to  all  men  5”  not 
merely  enjoining  them  by  the  force  of  a  command,  but 
"  teaching  them,”  that  is,  by  the  communication  of  di¬ 
vine  knowledge,  "  to  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly 
lusts ;”  to  loathe  the  very  thought  of  insulting  any  more 
their  adorable  Benefactor  by  rebellion,  or  of  dishonor¬ 
ing  him  by  neglect.  The  doctrines  of  grace,  like  an 
affectionate  tutor,  form  men  to  obedience  ;  and  when 
clearly  manifested  to  the  understanding  and  cordially 
embraced,  they  make  every  duty  we  owe  to  our  Cre¬ 
ator  appear  both  rational  and  easy.  They  give  us  a 
heart,  a  hand,  and  sufficient  ability  to  exercise  our¬ 
selves  unto  universal  godliness. 

Having,  therefore,  already  explained  and  established 
those  doctrines  of  grace  which  constitute  the  divine 
knowledge  peculiar  and  essential  to  a  Christian,  I  now 
proceed  to  a  particular  delineation  of  that  most  excel¬ 
lent  practice ,  by  which  he  differs  from  the  enslaved  mul¬ 
titude  of  unbelieving  sinners :  that  practice  which  he 
esteems  his  bounden  duty,  and  by  which  he  shows  forth 
the  praises  of  his  God  and  Savior,  who  hath  called  him 
out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light. 

We  begin  with  those  various  dispositions  towards 
the  ever-blessed  God,  of  which  the  habitual  exercise  is 
to  be  found  in  the  heart  of  every  real  Christian. 

1.  The  first  disposition  of  this  kind  is  godly  fear. 
This  is  one  of  those  great  springs  of  action  by  which 
rational  creatures  are  influenced.  It  is  of  the  highest 
importance,  therefore,  to  have  this  affection  exercised 
upon  some  just  object,  so  that  the  mind  may,  on  the 
one  hand,  be  armed  against  vain  terrors,  and,  on  the 
other,  be  duly  impressed  by  those  things  which  ought 
to  be  dreaded.  In  this  excellent  manner  the  affection 
of  fear  is  regulated  in  the  Christian’s  breast.  Temporal 
evils  of  every  kind  he  discerns  to  be  nothing  more  than 


208 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


instruments  in  the  hand  of  God,  wholly  subserving  his 
pleasure,  and  unable  to  affect  man’s  most  important 
interest.  Therefore  he  "  sanctifies  the  Lord  .God  in  his 
heart and  regards  as  "  his  fear  and  his  dread,”  Him 
who  is  too  wise  to  be  deceived,  too  just  to  be  biassed, 
too  mighty  to  be  resisted,  and  too  majestic  to  be  contem  • 
plated  without  reverence  and  self-abasement.  Very  dif¬ 
ferent  is  his  fear  of  the  Most  High  from  the  terror  of  a 
slave,  that  uneasy  feeling  which  causes  the  object  of  it 
to  be  considered  with  pain.  His  is  the  fear  of  a  rational 
creature  towards  its  all-perfect  Creator,  of  a  servant  to¬ 
wards  a  tender  master,  of  a  child  tow'ards  its  wise  and 
merciful  father.  Therefore,  in  the  same  proportion  as 
he  increases  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  he  increases  also 
in  the  fear  of  him.  And  so  essential  is  such  a  temper 
of  mind  towards  God,  where  his  attributes  are  known, 
that  the  bright  inhabitants  of  heaven  express  themselves 
as  if  they  could  not  suppose  it  possible  there  should  be 
a  reasonable  being  void  of  such  a  disposition  ;  for  they 
say,  "  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God 
Almighty;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  O  King  of 
saints !  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify 
thy  name,  for  thou  art  holy 

A  Christian  fears  the  Lord,  so  as  to  stand  in  awe :  he 
can  neither  be  bribed  nor  intimidated  wilfully  to  sin 
against  him.  But  as  he  is  encompassed  with  infirmities, 
snares  and  temptations,  so  he  finds  it  necessary  at 
some  seasons,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  to  repel  solicita¬ 
tions  to  evil  by  reflecting  upon  the  severity  of  God’s 
vengeance  on  impenitent  sinners ;  and  by  meditating 
upon  the  wrath  of  God  revealed  from  heaven  against 
all  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness  of  men.  In  this 
fear  of  the  Lord  is  safety ;  and  the  longer  he  lives 
under  its  influence  the  more  it  becomes  a  generous 
filial  fear. 

2.  This  fear,  therefore,  does  not  hinder,  but  promote 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


209 


the  exercise  of  another  disposition  towards  God,  which 
is  most  conspicuous  in  every  real  Christian,  namely,  a 
readiness  to  obey  God  without  reserve.  He  beholds  his 
Maker’s  absolute  dominion  over  him  founded  in  his 
very  being1.  Every  faculty  of  his  soul,  and  every  mem¬ 
ber  of  his  body  is  a  witness  of  his  Maker’s  righteous 
claim  to  his  life  and  to  his  labors ;  when  he  requires 
them  to  be  employed  in  his  service,  he  does  but  appoint 
the  use  of  what  is  his  own  absolute  property.  Ever 
conscious  of  this,  he  resolutely  regards  the  authority 
of  God  in  a  world  which  despises  it :  he  uniformly  per¬ 
sists  in  obedience  to  him,  though  his  natural  corrup¬ 
tions,  his  worldly  interest,  and  the  prevailing  customs 
of  the  world  should  oppose  it.  In  his  judgment  the 
command  of  God  alone  constitutes  a  practice  reason¬ 
able  and  necessary.  He  wants  no  higher  authority  to 
confirm  it;  nor  can  any  objections  from  selfish  consi¬ 
derations  induce  him  to  evade  its  force,  or  prevaricate 
with  respect  to  the  obligation  of  the  command.  He 
makes  his  prayer  unto  the  God  of  his  life,  to  teach  him 
his  statutes ;  to  set  his  heart  at  liberty  from  every  evil 
bias,  that  he  may  run  the  way  of  his  commandments.  He 
says  unto  God,  "  I  am  thine,  O  !  save  me,  for  I  have 
sought  thy  commandments.”  And  when,  through  sur¬ 
prise,  he  has  been  drawn  aside,  shame,  sorrow  and  in¬ 
dignation  succeed  his  transgression,  and  he  becomes 
more  humble  and  more  vigilant  also  against  temptation 
for  the  future. 

3.  Gratitude  to  God  is  also  a  distinguishing  part  of  the 
Christian  disposition.  Where  there  is  any  degree  of  ho¬ 
nesty  and  generosity  of  mind,  there  will  necessarily  be 
a  desire  also  of  testifying  a  due  sense  of  favors  re¬ 
ceived  ;  an  eagerness  to  embrace  the  first  opportunity 
of  convincing  our  Friend  and  Benefactor  that  we  feel 
our  obligations.  In  the  case  of  benefits  and  favors  con¬ 
ferred  by  man  upon  man,  all  acknowledge  the  duty  of 


‘210 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


this  grateful  return,  and  all  are  ready  to  brand  with  ig¬ 
nominy  the  ingrate  who  repays  with  ill-will  or  neglect 
his  liberal  patron.  But,  alas  !  where  the  obligation  is 
the  greatest  possible,  it  is  often  the  least  felt,  and  men 
scruple  not  to  treat  with  neglect  the  supreme  Benefac¬ 
tor  of  the  human  race.  From  this  detestable  crime  the 
real  Christian  alone  stands  exempted.  He  perceives  co¬ 
gent  and  continual  reasons  for  gratitude  to  God,  and 
is  impressed  by  them.  He  is  deeply  sensible  of  the 
bounty  of  his  Maker  in  all  the  providences  relating  both 
to  his  body  and  to  his  soul.  Food  and  raiment,  health 
and  strength,  he  day  by  day  receives  as  undeserved  in¬ 
stances  of  the  loving-kindness  of  his  God;  and  all  these 
common  blessings  keep  alive  a  glow  of  gratitude  to  God 
within  him.  But  much  more  is  he  excited  to  thankful¬ 
ness  upon  considering  the  mercies  relating  to  his  eter¬ 
nal  interest.  He  freely  acknowledges  that  God  might 
have  justly  cut  him  off  whilst  he  was  living  in  rebellion 
against  his  law ;  or  have  left  him  to  continue  under  that 
dreadful  hardness  and  blindness  of  heart  which  so  long 
had  power  over  him.  Instead  of  this,  he  can  say,  "  He 
hath  opened  my  eyes  and  changed  my  heart ;  conquered 
the  stubbornness  of  my  own  will,  and  given  me  an  un¬ 
feigned  desire  to  be  conformed  to  his  ;  made  me  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  Christ ;  persuaded  me  by  his  Spirit  of  the  truth 
and  absolute  necessity  of  redemption  by  the  Son  of  God. 
I  am  able,  in  some  degree,  to  comprehend  with  all  saints 
the  length  and  breadth,  the  height  and  depth  of  the  love 
of  Christ.  I  have  a  distinct  view  of  that  long  train  of 
reproaches,  miseries  and  torments,  which  my  salvation 
cost  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory.  I  behold  on  the  one 
hand  the  fathomless  abyss  of  wo  from  which  he  has  res¬ 
cued  me  ;  on  the  other,  the  eternal  glory  he  has  pro¬ 
mised  for  my  inheritance.  Whilst  I  meditate  upon  ah 
these  things,  and  grow  more  and  more  intimately  ac¬ 
quainted  with  their  truth,  I  feel  upon  my  mind  an  in- 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


211 


creasing  conviction  that  the  Lord  hath  dealt  bountifully 
with  me.  I  am  glad  to  confess  that  no  slave  can  be  so 
absolutely  the  property  of  his  master,  as  I  am  of  God  ; 
nor  any  pensioner,  though  supported  by  the  most  rich 
and  undeserved  bounty,  so  strongly  engaged  to  grati¬ 
tude,  as  I  am  to  glorify  God,  both  with  my  body  and 
with  my  soul,  which  are  his.” 

That  such  is  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  a  Christian  is 
evident  from  the  apostle’s  declaration.  When  he  is 
showing  the  powerful  motive  which  influenced  him, 
and  all  the  followers  of  the  Lamb,  to  such  eminent  zeal 
in  his  service,  he  says,  "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth 
us;”  with  a  pleasing  force  it  bears  down  all  opposition 
before  it,  like  a  mighty  torrent,  and  carries  forth  our 
souls  in  all  the  actings  of  an  ingenuous  gratitude  and 
thankfulness  towards  God. 

4.  Another  eminent  part  of  the  Christian  disposition 
is  trust  in  God.  The  sin  of  unbelief,  though  so  often 
upbraided  in  Scripture,  so  dishonorable  to  God,  and  so 
hurtful  to  ourselves,  is  still  the  sin  which  naturally  pre¬ 
vails  in  all  men :  and  even  the  Christian  is  sometimes  as¬ 
saulted  and  greatly  perplexed  by  it.  But  though  he  must 
confess  that,  in  seasons  of  great  difficulty  and  danger, 
he  is  sometimes  afraid ;  he  can  say,  with  equal  truth, 
"  Yet  will  I  put  my  trust  in  God.”  He  can  and  does  ha¬ 
bitually  pay  to  his  Maker  that  most  acceptable  homage 
of  placing  his  supreme  confidence  in  him.  He,  and  he 
alone,  can  do  this ;  because  he  not  only  knows  in  gene¬ 
ral  that  "  great  is  the  Lord,  and  great  is  his  power,  yea 
and  his  wisdom  is  infinite  :”  but  he  has  positive  and  ex¬ 
press  promises  of  grace,  mercy  and  peace,  made  to 
him.  For  as  true  repentance,  humiliation  and  faith  in 
Jesus,  have  taken  possession  of  his  heart,  and  are  ha¬ 
bitually  exercised  by  him ;  so  when  he  looks  into  the 
holy  volume,  he  sees  God  always  described  as  full  of 
compassion,  and  abundant  in  mercy  and  truth  to  all 


212 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


repenting  and  believing  sinners.  The  sight  of  this 
constantly  invigorates  his  hope  and  increases  his 
tonfidence. 

Besides,  he  is  persuaded  that  God  has  given  his  dear 
Son,  not  only  as  a  pledge  of  his  affection  towards  sin¬ 
ners,  but  as  a  sin-offering  for  them.  On  the  merit  of  this 
sacrifice  he  builds  his  confidence ;  he  fixes  his  depend¬ 
ence,  where  alone  it  ought  to  be,  on  the  God  of  his  sal¬ 
vation.  "  God  hath  promised,”  says  he,  "  to  bring  every 
one  to  glory  who  receives  his  only  begotten  Son  and 
trusts  on  his  arm.  He  hath  confirmed  this  promise 
even  with  an  oath :  he  has  engaged  himself  by  a  cove 
nant,  ratified  in  the  blood  of  his  Son.  This  Son,  as  Me¬ 
diator  and  High-priest  of  his  church,  now  appears  per¬ 
petually  before  the  throne  of  glory  for  all  who  come  to 
God  by  him  ;  he  makes  effectual  intercession  for  the 
relief  of  their  wants,  and  for  the  gift  of  all  things  which 
can  edify,  comfort,  and  make  them  meet  for  heaven.” 
Filled  with  this  knowledge,  and  emboldened  by  it,  he 
trusts  in  the  Lord,  and  stays  himself  upon  his  God. 
”  Though  it  would  be  presumption,”  he  says,  ”  and  en¬ 
thusiasm  in  me  to  expect  to  receive  from  God  what  he 
has  no  where  promised,  or  what  he  has  promised  in  a 
way  different  from  what  he  has  prescribed ;  yet  whilst 
I  am  living  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  and  testifying 
my  unfeigned  subjection  to  him  as  my  sovereign  Lord, 
I  cannot  but  rejoice  in  the  thought  that  God  is  faithful, 
who  has  given  us  exceeding  great  and  precious  pro¬ 
mises,  and  that  he  is  able  to  do  exceedingly  above  all 
that  I  can  ask  or  think.” 

And  as  the  Christian  first  exercises  trust  in  God,  en¬ 
couraged  by  the  revelation  he  has  made  of  himself  in 
the  Gospel,  and  the  promises  he  has  freely  given,  which 
none  besides  himself  receive  with  sincerity ;  so  upon 
every  advance  he  makes  in  knowledge  and  grace,  the 
grounds  of  his  confidence  in  God  grow  clearer  and 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


213 


stronger.  His  own  happy  experience  confirms  the  truth 
of  every  promise  which  at  first  engaged  his  dependence. 
The  truth  of  the  word  of  the  Lord  is  tried  to  the  utter¬ 
most  by  a  vast  variety  of  temptations  and  enemies,  that 
it  may  be  made  manifest  whether  there  is  any  deceit  in 
it  j  but  the  experiment,  though  ever  so  often  repeated,  • 
always  confirms  its  value.  He  beholds  his  vile  affections 
weakened  and  mortified,  the  violence  of  his  enemies  re¬ 
strained,  the  pleasures  and  hopes  of  his  spiritual  life  all 
exactly  corresponding  with  the  account  given  in  the 
holy  word  of  God.  Therefore,  from  this  complete  evi¬ 
dence  of  its*truth,  he  sees  that  it  is  good  for  him  to 
hold  fast  by  God,  and  to  put  his  trust  in  the  Lord  God. 
And  though  whilst  he  remains  in  this  fallen  world,  and 
has  the  principle  of  corruption  in  his  heart,  he  may 
often  find  evil  propensities  and  the  workings  of  unbelief ; 
yet  he  is  grieved,  ashamed  and  confounded  at  their  ap¬ 
pearance  ;  he  complains  of  himself  unto  God  ;  he  cries, 
Lord,  increase  my  faith,  deliver  me  from  an  evil  heart 
of  unbelief!  And  thus  he  is  enabled  with  boldness  to 
say,  "Behold,  God  is  my  salvation;  I  will  trust  and  not 
be  afraid ;  for  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  my  strength  and  my 
song,  he  also  is  become  my  salvation.”  Isaiah,  12  :  2. 

But  what  completes  the  Christian’s  trust  in  God,  even 
under  the  most  afflictive  visitatiofis,  is  the  promise  from 
himself,  repeated  upon  various  occasions,  to  this  effect: 

"  That  all  things  shall  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God.”  Rom.  8  :  28.  His  afflictions,  therefore, 
he  believes  are  so  far  from  being  the  scourge  of  an  ene¬ 
my,  or  the  wound  of  a  cruel  one  ;  so  far  from  coming 
by  chance,  or  upon  a  design  of  vengeance,  that  they 
are  sent  with  a  view  to  his  welfare.  It  is  "  for  our  pro¬ 
fit”  that  God  afflicts,  to  make  us  "partakers  of  his  ho¬ 
liness.”  A  lively  persuasion  of  this  truth  prevents  the 
cross  from  galling,  though  it  does  not  remove  it ;  it 
gives  to  every  suffering  a  kind  and  friendly  appearance. 


*  » 


214. 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAM. 


u  Thou.  O  God,  of  very  faithfulness  hast  caused  me  to 
be  troubled. — It  is  the  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given 
me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  I” 

5.  It  is  a  distinguishing  part  of  the  Christian’s  temper 
in  all  things  to  give  glory  to  God.  We  give  gl©ry  to 
another,  when,  with  high  esteem  and  cordial  regard,  we 
declare  the  excellencies  he  possesses.  The  Christian 
constantly  endeavors  in  this  manner  to  glorify  God ;  to 
convince  all  who  observe  his  deportment,  that  he  looks 
upon  the  goodness,  wisdom,  holiness  and  sovereign  do¬ 
minion  of  God  in  such  an  amiable  light,  as  cheerfully  to 
employ  all  his  powers  and  faculties  in  his  service.  The 
false  motives,  the  spurious  principles  which  gave  birth 
to  so  many  fair  appearances  and  seemingly  good  works, 
have  no  rule  in  his  heart.  He  is  not  restrained  from 
evil  through  the  fear  of  shame  or  loss;  nor  is  it  the 
love  of  praise  or  self-applause  which  excites  him  to  do 
well :  it  is  a  sense  of  duty  towards  his  Maker,  and  a 
regard  to  his  command.  He  offers  all  his  social  virtues 
and  all  his  religious  performances  unto  God,  with  a  pre¬ 
dominant  desire  that  his  glorious  Majesty  may  receive 
more  and  more  homage  and  service  from  himself  and 
all  around  him.  The  utility  of  actions  is  the  only  point 
regarded  by  the  world :  they  care  not  from  what  prin¬ 
ciple  they  flow,  provided  good  accrues  from  them  to 
society.  But  the  Christian  knows  that  God  sees  not  as 
man  sees ;  that  he  regards  chiefly  the  disposition  of 
mind  from  whence  our  actions  arise,  and  above  every 
thing,  the  respect  they  have  to  himself.  "  God  hath 
commanded  me,”  saith  he,  "  to  do  whatever  I  do,  hear¬ 
tily,  as  unto  the  Lord,  and  not  as  unto  men.  When  I 
am  discharging,  therefore,  and  fulfilling  the  duties  of 
any  particular  relation  in  life,  as  a  servant  or  master,  a 
husband  or  a  son,  a  tradesman  or  a  magistrate,  it  is  my 
unfeigned  desire  that  all  may  perceive  me  to  act  con¬ 
scientiously,  because  I  esteem  all  God’s  precepts  con- 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


215 


cerning  all  things  to  be  right,  and  am  persuaded  that  he 
has  given  us  a  law  in  these  respects  which  ought  not 
to  be  broken.  It  is  this  holy  aim,  I  know,  which  can 
alone  consecrate  my  conduct,  make  it  truly  religious, 
and  therefore  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God 
our  Savior.” 

6.  Inseparable  from  this  design  in  the  Christian  to 
give  glory  to  God,  is  a  studious  concern  to  approve 
himself  sincere  before  him  by  the  purity  of  his  heart. 
He  has  a  much  nobler  and  higher  aim  than  the  hypocrite 
or  the  mere  moralist.  They  both  can  be  satisfied  with 
a  freedom  from  gross  offences,  and  think  God’s  authori¬ 
ty  sufficiently  regarded,  if  the  practice  of  all  outward 
wickedness  be  carefully  avoided.  The  work  and  labor 
of  a  Christian,  on  the  contrary,  is  within:  to  prevent 
the  deadly  fruit  of  sin  in  the  branches,  by  opposing  and 
mortifying  it  in  the  root.  Though  he  cannot  totally 
suppress  the  rising  of  evil  thoughts,  nor  eradicate  all 
sensibility  to  bad  impressions  from  outward  objects  or 
inward  corruptions,  he  is  alarmed  at  their  intrusion ; 
and  with  such  an  emotion  as  a  sovereign  feels  at  the 
first  appearance  of  rebellion  in  his  kingdom,  he  cries 
unto  God  to  rise  to  his  succor,  and  immediately  to  ex¬ 
pel  his  enemies.  What  was  at  first  an  involuntary  mo¬ 
tion  in  his  mind,  (sad  indication  of  his  evil  nature  !) 
he  will  not  suffer  to  grow  more  exceeding  sinful  by 
cherishing  it,  or  by  being  at  peace  with  it.  For  this 
he  regards  as  a  plain  mark  of  remaining  love  for  sin, 
which  he  is  only  restrained  from  committing  by  selfish 
fear  or  prudence. 

To  illustrate  this  excellent  disposition  still  more  dis¬ 
tinctly  :  the  Christian,  in  youth  and  health,  does  much 
more  than  avoid  licentiousness.  He  is  offended  at  wan¬ 
ton  jesting;  he  loathes  the  pictures  a  corrupt  imagina¬ 
tion  would  be  painting  before  him,  and  resists  the  way¬ 
ward  desires  of  his  heart.  In  business  and  merchandise 


216 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAX. 


lie  does  more  than  renounce  the  bag  of  deceitful  weights 
and  the  frauds  of  villany;  he  renounces  the  love  of  mo¬ 
ney  as  becomes  one  who  is  a  stranger  upon  earth,  and 
adopted  into  the  family  of  God.  In  his  behavior  to 
wards  his  competitors  and  his  enemies,  he  does  not 
content  himself  with  abstaining  from  vilifying  them  by 
slander,  or  assaulting  them  with  railing.  He  condemns 
and  watches  against  silent  envy,  secret  animosity,  and 
injurious  surmises.  He  appears  vindictive  and  malicious 
in  his  own  eyes,  whenever  he  detects  himself  listening 
with  pleasure  to  others  who  are  speaking  evil  of  his 
foes,  though  the  charge  be  founded  on  truth.  He  be¬ 
wails  so  plain  a  proof  of  the  power  of  irregular  self- 
love  and  uncharitableness  in  his  heart.  To  mention  no 
more  instances,  the  Christian  is  not  satisfied  in  refrain¬ 
ing  from  speaking  vainly  and  proudly  of  his  own  accom¬ 
plishments  and  advantages,  {this  good  sense  will  check, 
and  good  manners  teach  us  to  be  irksome  to  others ;) 
but  he  maintains  an  obstinate  conflict  with  self-admira¬ 
tion  and  self-complacency  in  his  own  breast ;  not  de¬ 
sisting  till  he  has  put  these  grand  enemies  to  the  glory 
of  God  and  his  grace  to  flight  before  him.  In  each  of 
these,  and  many  other  instances,  he  ascribes  unto  God 
the  honor  due  unto  his  name,  as  the  Lord  of  conscience, 
as  the  God  "  who  searcheth  the  heart  and  trieth  the 
reins,  and  requireth  truth  in  the  inward  parts.”  He 
"  sets  the  Lord  always  before  him ;”  and  this  is  the 
purport  of  his  constant  desire,  observed  by  the  omnis¬ 
cient  Judge  ; — "  Search  me,  0  God,  and  know  my  heart ; 
try  me,  and  know  my  thoughts:  see  if  there  be  any 
wicked  way  in  me,  and  lead  me  in  the  way  everlast¬ 
ing.”  Psalm  139  :  23,  24. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


217 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CMUISTE1JT  GRACES  JftFSJPO- 

SITIOJ%mS. — continued* 

+  V 

IMITATION  OF  GOD - LOVE  OF  GOD - DEVOTION: — 

SELF-ABASEMENT. 

True  religion  has  the  honor  and  glory  of  God  for  its 
object.  It  brings  man  back  to  his  allegiance  to  his 
Creator  j  it  implants  in  his  mind  every  holy  and  gene¬ 
rous  disposition  which  tends  to  glorify  God.  Thus  we 
have  seen  that  it  teaches  him  to  regard  God  with  holy 
fear  ;  it  requires  a  cheerful  and  universal  obedience  to 
his  authority  ;  it  inspires  him  with  gratitude  ;  animates 
him  with  confidence  towards  his  Creator ;  induces  him 
always  to  aim  at  the  promotion  of  his  glory  ;  and  leads 
him  to  cultivate  a  purity  of  motive  in  all  his  actions. 
Such  are  the  dispositions,  as  they  respect  God,  which 
it  is  the  object  of  Christianity  to  form  in  man.  Besides 
these,  there  are  also  others  equally  excellent,  which  it 
is  my  design  at  present  to  set  before  you ;  in  all  which 
you  will  discover  the  same  supreme  regard  to  the  Crea¬ 
tor,  and  ascription  of  that  honor  and  glory  which  so 
justly  belong  to  him. 

7.  To  proceed,  therefore,  with  this  subject,  I  observe 
that  care  to  imitate  God ,  in  what  he  is  the  proper  object 
of  imitation,  forms  a  principal  feature  in  the  Christian’s 
disposition.  He  prays  and  labors  to  have  transcribed 
into  his  own  heart,  and  to  express  in  his  life  the  holi¬ 
ness  and  righteousness  of  God  $  his  forbearance,  mercy 
and  communicative  goodness.  And  in  order  to  behold 

Duty  of  Man.  1^ 


218 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


these  attributes  where  they  shine  with  the  greatest 
clearness  and  most  transforming  efficacy,  he  contem¬ 
plates  them  living  and  breathing  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  in  this,  as  well  as  every  other  sense,  is  "  the 
brightness  of  his  Father’s  glory,  and  the  express  image 
of  his  person.”  Upon  this  all-perfect  pattern  he  stead¬ 
fastly  fixes  his  eye,  as  a  painter  upon  a  portrait,  when 
copying  from  an  invaluable  original.  He  labors  with 
carefulness  and  persevering  attention  to  bring  himself 
to  a  more  perfect  likeness  of  his  God  and  Savior.  It 
is  the  work  of  his  life  to  advance  in  this  resemblance; 
strongly  excited  to  it  by  the  incomparable  excellency 
of  the  life  and  character  of  Jesus.  For  he  beholds  all 
its  parts  exhibiting  to  his  view  a  mind  unpolluted  with 
any  defilement,  though  inhabiting  an  earthly  tabernacle ; 
a  mind  adorned  with  the  most  lovely  dispositions;  full 
of  all  goodness,  righteousness  and  truth ;  not  judging 
by  the  sight  of  the  eye,  or  charmed  with  what  is  most 
grateful  to  the  voluptuous  ear;  full  of  pity  towards  a 
wretched  sinful  world,  compassionate  to  its  calamities, 
unprovoked  by  its  sharpest  injuries,  and  bent  upon  do¬ 
ing  the  greatest  good,  though  suffering  for  it  the  most 
cruel  treatment. 

In  such  a  character  there  is  every  thing  which  de¬ 
mands  veneration  ;  and  it  is  not  possible  constantly  to 
behold,  as  the  real  Christian  does,  this  fair  beauty  of 
the  Lord,  without  desiring  to  possess  a  measure  of  the 
same  excellencies. 

The  imitation  of  the  life  of  Jesus  has  been  enjoined 
by  his  own  command,  to  which  the  Christian  pays  the 
most  cordial  submission.  "  Ye  call  me  Master  and 
Lord:  and  ye  say  well:  for  so  I  am.  If  I  then,  your 
Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet:  ye  also  ought 
to  wash  one  another’s  feet.  For  I  have  given  you  an 
example,  that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you.” 
John,  13  :  13,  14,  15.  The  force  of  this  injunction  makes 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


219 


all  contrariety  of  temper  to  the  mind  that  was  in  Jesus 
Christ  appear,  to  the  apprehension  of  the  true  believer, 
though  found  in  himself,  deformed  and  criminal.  This 
opens  his  eyes  to  see  the  glaring  delusion  of  being  call¬ 
ed  after  the  name  of  Christ,  without  "  walking  even  as 
he  walked  ;”  without  "  purifying  himself  even  as  Christ 
is  pure;”  that  is,  without  being  endued  with  such  a 
conformity  to  the  image  of  the  Son  of  God,  as  includes 
the  whole  chain  of  those  graces  which  shone  in  him ; 
and  implies  an  abhorrence,  not  of  one  kind  of  evil  only, 
or  of  another,  but  of  the  whole  body  of  sin.  Hence  he 
is  in  truth  an  imitator  of  his  Lord ;  inasmuch  as  every 
excellent  temper,  which  wdthout  measure  dwelt  in  him, 
has  its  real  though  limited  and  imperfect  influence  in 
all  the  living  members  of  his  church.  It  is  a  declaration 
descriptive  of  all  real  Christians;  "We  all  beholding,” 
in  the  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "as  in  a  glass, 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image, 
from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.” 
2  Cor.  3  :  18. 

This  desire  of  imitating  the  life  and  character  of 
Jesus  is  strengthened  exceedingly  by  the  love  the  Chris¬ 
tian  bears  towards  him.  We  imperceptibly  imitate  the 
manners  of  those  we  admire  ;  without  any  studied  de¬ 
sign  on  our  part,  we  resemble  those  who  have  gained 
our  affections  by  the  greatness  of  their  generosity,  and 
who  justify  our  regard  by  the  degree  of  their  excel¬ 
lence.  It  is  so  between  man  and  man,  though  the  rich¬ 
est  favors  conferred  below  are  small  in  value,  and  the 
most  consummate  human  character  but  the  shadow  of 
perfection.  How  strongly,  then,  must  the  Christian's 
heart,  which  is  exercised  daily  in  fixing  his  attention  on 
the  riches  of  the  Savior’s  love,  and  the  unspeakable 
kindness  expressed  in  the  work  of  redemption,  be  excited 
to  imitate  so  divine  a  character — the  character  of  him 
wdio  is  his  peace,  his  hope,  his  life,  his  God,  and  his  all ! 


220 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


8.  The  disposition  of  a  Christian  is  also  distinguished 
in  a  very  eminent  degree  from  the  spirit  of  the  world, 
by  the  affectionate  love  he  bears  to  God,  and  the  su¬ 
preme  delight  and  joy  he  receives  from  the  knowledge 
of  him.  Man,  sunk  into  bodily  appetites,  lifts  not  up 
the  heavy  eye  of  his  mind  to  God,  nor  understands 
that  he  can  be  to  the  faithful  soul  a  fund  of  present 
comfort  and  happiness,  richer  than  money,  grandeur, 
sensual  gratification,  or  books  of  learning  prove  to  their 
several  devoted  admirers.  Hence  all  expressions  of 
fervent  love  to  God,  though  free  from  enthusiastic 
flights,  fall  under  the  censure  of  the  world.  They  assert 
that  they  are  nothing  but  fictitious  representations ;  or, 
that  if  any  warmth  of  affection  is  really  felt,  it  is  to  be 
accounted  for  physically,  as  owing  to  the  temperature 
of  the  body,  to  a  freer  circulation  of  the  blood,  or  to 
the  powers  of  a  warm  imagination.  The  Christian,  on 
the  contrary,  loves  the  invisible  God  with  as  much  sin¬ 
cerity  of  affection  as  the  covetous  love  their  possessions, 
or  the  sensualist  the  joys  of  voluptuousness. 

He  loves  God  as  that  blessed  Being  who  is  infinitely 
glorious  in  himself,  in  whom  all  excellencies  meet  to¬ 
gether,  and  who  possesses  them  all  without  the  possi¬ 
bility  of  ever  suffering  them  to  be  impaired  or  sullied. 
Enlightened  by  the  Scriptures  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  he 
beholds  such  goodness  in  God  as  disparages  whatever 
bears  the  name  of  it  amongst  creatures.  Almighty 
power  and  unerring  wisdom,  unblemished  truth,  spot¬ 
less  holiness,  and  tender  mercies  ;  every  thing  fit  to 
raise  the  admiration  of  an  intelligent  being  he  perceives 
in  God.  His  glory  shines  out  in  the  works  of  creation 
and  of  providence,  and  manifests  itself  in  the  redemp¬ 
tion  of  sinners  by  Jesus  Christ  in  its  strongest  light. 
From  these  views  he  is  excited  to  love  God,  and  he  ex¬ 
presses  that  love  by  discovering  high  and  admiring 
thoughts  of  him  ;  by  reflecting  with  pleasure  on  his  per- 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


221 


fections  as  they  appear  in  the  works  of  nature,  the  won¬ 
ders  of  grace,  or  the  prospects  of  glory.  This  love  of 
God  for  his  own  perfections,  though  not  ordinarily  dis¬ 
cerned  in  the  Christian  at  the  first,  yet  as  he  grows  in 
knowledge  and  faith,  becomes  indisputably  evident.  It 
is  discovered  even  whilst  he  is  in  doubt  about  his  own 
interest  in  God:  because  he  will  yet  esteem  and  value 
him,  be  careful  to  commend  his  precepts,  be  faithful  in 
his  service,  and  speak  good  of  his  name. 

Besides  the  incomparable  excellency  of  God,  a  Chris¬ 
tian  has  also  other  motives  to  love  him.  He  loves  God 
as  his  chief  good.  "  God  alone,”  says  he,  "  can  be  a 
heart-satisfying  portion  to  me.  In  his  favor  is  my  life, 
whilst  all  beneath  or  beside  him  is  replete  with  vanity 
and  disappointment,  too  mean  and  too  transient  fully  to 
satisfy  even  one  appetite :  but  God  is  all-sufficient : 
'  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  I  and  there  is  none 
upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee.’  ” 

This  love  of  God  expresses  itself  in  frequent  longings 
that  he  may  share  in  his  pardoning  mercy,  and  be  happy 
for  ever  in  his  acceptance.  For  this  he  is  content  to 
part  with  all ;  the  love  of  God  is  to  him  above  every 
thing.  He  can  say  with  David,  ”  I  entreated  thy  favor 
with  my  whole  heart  :  Lord,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of 
thy  countenance  upon  me.”  He  cannot  be  easy  while  a 
cloud  obscures  his  Father’s  face.  The  apprehension  of 
his  displeasure  is  most  grievous  to  him  j  nor  can  he  be 
satisfied  till  God  be  reconciled.  He  cries  with  vehe¬ 
mence,  like  David,  "  Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence, 
and  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me  :  restore  unto  me 
the  joy  of  thy  salvation,  and  uphold  me  with  thy  free 
Spirit.”  He  discovers  also  the  sincerity  of  his  love  to 
God  by  a  delight  in  him,  no  less  than  by  desires  after 
him.  His  soul  is  at  rest  whilst  he  can  call  God  his  God. 
In  such  a  view  he  rejoices  in  the  divine  favor  more 
than  he  would  in  calling  the  whole  world  his  own.  It 


222 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


animates  him  in  the  highest  degree  to  think  that  God  is 
"  his  portion.” 

And  so  truly  does  he  rejoice  in  God,  and  delight  in 
him  with  sincere  affection,  as  to  be  satisfied  under  all 
the  troubles  to  which  he  can  be  exposed.  Amidst 
shame  and  reproach  he  can  support  and  solace  himself 
in  the  thought  that  God  knoweth  his  innocency  and  ap¬ 
proves  of  him.  In  necessities,  distresses  and  afflictions, 
it  is  a  strong  consolation  that  in  this  state  the  Lord 
"  knoweth  his  path,”  and  that  "  when  he  is  tried,  he 
shall  come  forth  as  gold.”  Even  in  the  most  perilous 
and  dismaying  circumstances,  when  the  judgments  of 
an  incensed  God  are  spreading  consternation  over  whole 
countries,  the  Christian  in  his  love  to  God  still  finds  a 
spring  to  cheer  and  refresh  his  soul,  to  which  none  but 
himself  has  access.  "  God  is  my  refuge  and  strength,” 
says  he,  "  a  very  present  help  in  trouble.  Therefore 
will  I  not  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed,  and  though 
the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea; 
though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled,  though 
the  mountains  shake  with  the  swelling  thereof.”  For  in 
the  midst  of  all  this  fiery  indignation  issuing  forth 
against  his  adversaries,  he  still  beholds  God  in  Christ 
Jesus,  reconciled  to  him  and  to  every  humbled  sinner. 

Such  as  these  were  the  glorious  expressions  of  love 
to  God,  even  before  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  had  ascend¬ 
ed  up  on  high,  "  leading  captivity  captive ;”  it  cannot 
therefore  reasonably  be  supposed  that  the  more  expli¬ 
cit  knowledge  of  salvation  which  we  enjoy  should  not 
be  more  than  equal  to  such  a  blessed  effect.  If  the  in¬ 
spired  Habakkuk  could  find  such  love  to  God  in  his  heart 
as  to  say,  "Although  the  fig-tree  shall  not  blossom, 
neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines  ;  the  labor  of  the  olive 
shall  fail,  and  the  fields  yield  no  meat ;  the  flocks  shall 
be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  be  no  herd  in  the 
stalls:  yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord  ;  I  will  joy  in  the 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


223 


God  of  my  salvation — if  a  man  of  like  passions  with 
ourselves  could  so  love  God  as  to  find  comfort  in  him 
amidst  the  horrors  of  an  universal  dearth ;  certainly  we 
may  conclude  that  now  the  Messenger  of  the  covenant, 
the  Day-spring  from  on  high,  hath  visited  the  church, 
the  love  which  a  real  Christian  bears  to  his  God  will 
enable  his  soul  to  feel  at  least  as  high  a  delight  and 
exultation  in  his  favor  And  though,  alas  !  few  are  ob¬ 
served  in  our  own  day  to  love  God  in  a  degree  so  fer¬ 
vent  and  intense  as  this,  yet  the  endeavor  and  desire 
of  all  who  are  Christians  in  sincerity  is  to  do  so.  And 
they  discover  a  principle  of  love  the  very  same  as  this 
in  kind,  by  their  opposing  the  first  tendencies  in  them¬ 
selves  to  complain,  though  in  a  season  of  great  tribula¬ 
tion  ;  by  rebuking  themselves  for  the  defectiveness  of 
their  delight  in  God  ;  saying,  "  Why  art  thou  cast  down, 
0  my  soul  1  and  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me  1 
Hope  thou  in  God ;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him  for  the 
help  of  his  countenance.”  Psalm  42 :  5. 

Whether,  therefore,  the  Christian  be  weak  or  strong, 
still  it  is  apparent  that  he  delights  himself  in  the  Lord. 
When  he  rejoices  and  triumphs  in  the  midst  of  outward 
troubles,  his  delight  in  God  flames  forth  with  vigor  and 
brightness.  And  when  it  is  his  grief  and  heavy  burden 
that  he  cannot  do  so,  this  is  still  as  true  an  expression 
of  love  to  God,  struggling  in  a  sore  conflict  under  the 
weight  of  oppression.  For,  were  it  not  the  very  joy  of 
his  heart  to  be  glad  in  the  Lord  and  in  every  thing  to 
give  thanks,  he  would  not,  in  the  time  of  tribulation, 
be  dejected  and  mourn  on  account  of  his  want  of  joy 
in  God.  Such  delight  in  God,  even  in  the  midst  of 
prosperity,  is  a  thing  unintelligible  to  the  world ;  and 
the  utmost  they  can  conceive  attainable  by  man,  is  to 
bear  distressing  troubles  with  calmness.  Therefore  the 
very  desire  of  a  Christian  to  be  "  strengthened  with  all 
might,  according  to  God’s  glorious  power,  unto  all  pa- 


224 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


lienee  and  long-suffering  with  joyfulness;”  that  is,  to 
bear  afflictions  with  holy  triumphs,  in  consideration  of 
what  God  is  to  him  and  has  done  for  him,  is  a  demon¬ 
stration  that  he  delights  in  God. 

9.  It  is  an  eminent  part  of  the  disposition  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  towards  God,  to  engage  with  diligence  and  pleasure 
in  all  the  various  exercises  of  devotion  and  the  use  of  the 
means  of  grace.  Men  have  naturally  a  strong  aversion 
..to  confession  of  sin,  to  prayer  and  praise,  to  hearing  and 
reading  God’s  word,  and  coming  to  the  table  of  the 
Lord.  They  engage  in  these  duties  only  from  custom, 
or  are  diagged  to  them  merely  to  pacify  conscience 
They  are,  therefore,  as  little  employed  in  this  mannei 
as  may  be,  being  weary  of  the  irksome  employment 
Hence  all  the  devotion  of  the  natural  man  is  generally 
comprised  in  a  few  minutes’  vain  repetition  each  morn¬ 
ing  or  evening,  and  in  an  attendance  at  church  on  Sun¬ 
days,  in  which  he  is  conscious  of  no  more  pleasure 
than  a  child  feels  when  repeating  by  rote,  words  of 
which  he  understands  not  the  meaning.  Or  should 
there  be  more  outward  practice  of  devotion  than  this, 
it  may  spring  from  the  popish  notion  that  religious  du¬ 
ties  have  in  them  an  atoning  virtue,  and  constitute  a 
man  holy  when  punctually  performed. 

How  different  the  temper  of  a  Christian  !  He  lives  in 
the  constant  exercise  of  a  devout  spirit.  His  recollec¬ 
tion  of  the  sinfulness  of  his  past  life  ;  of  that  hateful 
period,  when  "all  the  imaginations  of  the  thoughts  of 
his  heart  were  only  evil  continually when  self  was 
his  god,  and  God  was  nothing  to  him  but  a  name  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  his  consciousness  of  blindness  and 
depravity  still  too  much  remaining,  render  it  a  relief  to 
his  soul  to  pour  out  before  God  complaints  against  him¬ 
self.  As  he  increases  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  his 
own  duty,  the  more  strong  are  his  desires  to  prostrate 
himself  before  the  greatness  of  eternal  Excellency,  and 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


225 


to  be  filled  with  holy  shame  and  confusion  at  his  own 
sin  and  defilement.  Sometimes  he  finds  the  springs  of 
ingenuous  sorrow  opened  within,  and  tastes  a  most 
solid  satisfaction  in  giving  glory  to  the  holiness  of  God 
and  his  lav/.  And  when  his  affections  are  not  thus  in¬ 
fluenced,  he  still  engages  diligently  in  the  confession 
of  his  sin  as  a  means  of  beholding  more  clearly  its  enor¬ 
mity  and  guilt,  and  of  being  impressed  with  a  more 
steadfast  hatred  of  it.  With  pleasure  also  he  addresses 
his  prayer  to  the  Father  of  lights,  from  whom  every 
good  and  perfect  gift  cometh,  that  divine  grace  may 
be  imparted  to  him  ;  because  he  is  fully  persuaded  that 
the  strength  and  the  increase  of  grace  must  be  main¬ 
tained  by  God,  and  not  by  himself.  Human  virtues  and 
social  qualities  will  grow,  he  sees,  in  nature’s  garden  : 
but  trust  in  God,  spiritual  obedience,  delight  in  him,  and 
all  the  tempers  becoming  a  creature  and  a  sinner,  must 
be  the  workmanship  of  God  by  his  Spirit,  which  is  given 
only  to  them  that  ask  it.  Therefore,  as  natural  hunger 
and  thirst  seek  their  proper  gratification,  and  the  desire 
of  every  living  soul  is  always  turned  towards  that 
which  it  apprehends  as  its  chiefest  good :  so  is  it  his 
hunger  and  thirst  to  receive  out  of  the  fulness  there  is 
in  Christ  "  grace  for  grace.”  So  far,  therefore,  from 
thinking  prayer  a  burden,  or  performing  it  merely  as  a 
duty,  at  particular  times  and  seasons,  the  Christian  may 
be  said  to  "  pray  without  ceasing.”  All  places,  as  well 
as  his  closet  and  his  church,  are  witnesses  of  the  fel 
lowship  he  maintains  in  this  manner  with  an  invisible 
God.  If  his  sleep  depart  from  him,  he  is  a\vake  to  the 
sublime  sensations  of  prayer  and  devotion.  "  With  my 
soul,  O  God,”  says  he,  "  have  I  desired  thee  in  the 
night,  yea,  with  my  spirit  within  me  will  I  seek  thee 
early.” 

From  the  same  love  to  God  springs  a  real  joy  to 
praise  and  extol  him.  "  It  becometh  well  the  just,” 

10* 


‘2*26 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


says  he,  "  to  be  thankful.  Praise  the  Lord,  0  my  soul, 
and  all  that  is  within  me,  praise  his  holy  name.  For  he 
hath  delivered  my  soul  from  death,  mine  eyes  from 
tears,  and  my  feet  from  falling.  My  mouth  shall,  there¬ 
fore,  be  filled  as  it  were  with  marrow  and  fatness,  while 
I  am  praising  thee  with  joyful  lips.  This  spiritual  en¬ 
tertainment  shall  prove  as  delicious  to  my  mind  as  the 
feast  of  the  epicure  to  his  taste,  though  combining  the 
richest  dainties  which  luxury  can  procure.” 

And  from  the  same  love  which  the  real  Christian 
bears  to  his  God  and  Savior,  all  things  which  belong  to 
God,  his  words,  his  institutions  and  ordinances,  will  be 
objects  of  his  pleasure  and  delight.  "  Hath  God  ”  (says 
he)  "  written  a  book  of  knowledge  and  grace  for  the 
use  of  man,  and  shall  I  not  be  glad  to  read  and  hear  the 
interesting  contents  of  it  1  Shall  I  not  converse  most 
frequently  with  those  divine  notices  of  himself,  which 
God  has  sent  us  from  heaven  'l  Yes,  my  delight  is 
placed  on  this  book  of  God;  0  !  how  I  love  thy  law  ! 
it  is  my  meditation  all  the  day.” 

Has  the  glorious  God  appointed  a  method  of  wor¬ 
ship,  and  required  men  to  assemble  in  multitudes  to  ad¬ 
dress  his  divine  Majesty  1  "I  love,”  says  the  real 
Christian,  "  the  habitation  of  thine  house,  and  the  place 
where  thine  honor  dwelleth  :  one  day  in  thy  courts  is 
better  than  a  thousand.” 

Has  God  appointed  pastors  and  teachers  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  perfecting  his  saints, 
for  the  edifying  his  body  the  church ;  and  promised  to 
ble  ss  and  succeed  their  faithful  discourses,  and  to  be 
with  them  always,  to  the  end  of  the  world  1  "  It  is  with 
raised  expectations  and  steady  attention,”  says  the 
Christian,  "that  I  will  hear  the  ministers  of  the  Lord; 
and  look  through  the  infirmities  of  the  speaker  to  the 
appointment  and  promise  of  the  God  of  all  grace,  who 
has  seen  fit  to  choose  men  to  be  instruments  and  min- 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


227 


isters  of  grace  to  men  their  hearers.  And  has  He,  who 
was  dead  for  my  sins,  and  is  alive  again,  and  liveth  for 
evermore,  left  with  his  church  the  memorial  of  his 
abundant  goodness  and  bleeding  love,  commanding  his 
people  to  feast  upon  it,  that  his  sacrifice  might  grow 
more  precious  in  their  eyes'?  I  will,  with  solemn  joy 
and  gratitude,  join  the  faithful  company  who  cat  of 
that  bread  and  drink  of  that  cup,  as  a  public  testi¬ 
mony  that  every  blessing  I  have  received  of  God,  and 
every  benefit  I  hope  for,  does  and  will  descend  upon 
me  only  through  the  atoning  death  of  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous.” 

And  though  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  is  not  in  the 
Christian’s  power  to  be  always  full  of  delight  in  holy 
duties  j  though  he  has  too  often  cause  to  bemoan  the 
want  of  a  more  devout  and  spiritual  frame  of  mind 
when  he  is  using  the  means  of  grace ;  yet  the  godly 
disposition  of  his  soul  suffers  no  such  change.  God  is 
still  the  constant  object  of  his  reverence  and  trust,  of 
his  gratitude  and  love ;  and  therefore,  whether  he  ex¬ 
periences  more  or  less  pleasure  in  the  solemn  acts  of 
devotion,  he  is  still  punctual  in  them ;  he  grows  not 
weary  of  them, — but  of  the  body  of  sin,  which  proves 
so  heavy  an  incumbrance,  when  he  would  have  his  soul 
full  of  fervent  adoration  of  God. 

10.  Humility  is  another  peculiar  and  most  distin¬ 
guishing  part  of  the  disposition  of  a  Christian.  By  his 
humility,  is  not  meant  his  entertaining  a  worse  opinion 
of  himself,  or  abasing  himself  lower  than  he  really 
ought  to  do ;  but  his  living  under  a  constant  sense  and 
acknowledgment  of  his  own  weakness,  corruption  and 
sin,  in  the  sight  of  God.  All  beside  the  Christian  dis¬ 
semble  and  offend  God  in  this  matter.  For  though 
some  confess  their  own  weakness,  they  magnify  their 
attainments,  and  over-rate  what  they  own  to  be  the  gift 
of  God,  because  it  belongs  to  themselves.  They  will 


228 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


not  allow,  that  after  all  they  have  done,  and  all  they 
have  received,  their  plea  must  still  be  this  $  "  God  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner!”  The  Christian  has  learned 
better  the  poverty  and  sin  of  fallen  man,  even  in  his 
best  estate.  As  the  man  who  improves  in  learning,  sees 
more  of  his  own  ignorance  when  he  has  made  a  com 
siderable  progress,  than  when  he  first  began ;  so  the 
Christian,  the  more  he  advances  in  the  illumination  of 
his  mind,  and  in  a  clear  view  of  the  extent  of  his  duty 
towards  God,  becomes  more  sensible  of  defects  which 
had  hitherto  escaped  his  notice,  and  is  humbled  for 
them.  "  The  commandment  of  God,”  he  exclaims,  "  re¬ 
quires  in  every  the  minutest  instance,  that  I  do  nothing 
forbidden  by  it,  nor  leave  undone,  in  heart  or  life,  any 
one  thing  which  it  enjoins :  that  I  should  ever  exercise 
a  perfect  regularity  of  affection  and  desire,  and  ever 
maintain  a  perfect  rectitude  of  temper  and  of  thought.” 
Having  his  eye  fixed  up^n  this  purity,  and  acknow 
ledging  that  God  ought  in  this  manner  to  be  obeyed  by 
every  intelligent  being,  he  clearly  discerns  his  own  in¬ 
numerable  failures,  and  his  inherent  depravity  is  with¬ 
out  a  covering.  Therefore,  when  his  deportment  is,  in 
the  eyes  of  men,  unblameable  and  unreprovable,  and 
adorns  the  doctrine  of  God  his  Savior  in  all  things,  still 
the  sentiment  of  his  heart  is,  living  and  dying,  "  Behold, 
I  am  vile:  Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant, 
O  Lord,  for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified.” 

Thus  is  the  Christian  kept  humble  by  his  knowledge 
of  the  law ;  and  no  less  so  by  the  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel.  "Have  my  sins,”  says  he,  "rendered  me  so 
abominable  in  the  eyes  of  God,  that  it  would  reflec* 
dishonor  upon  his  Majesty  to  receive  my  prayers,  or 
admit  me  to  any  share  in  his  pardoning  mercy  upon  a 
less  consideration  than  the  death  and  intercession  of 
his  own  Son  for  me ;  and  can  I  in  this  state  regard  my¬ 
self  as  any  thing  better  than  a  guilty  sinner  1  Shall  I 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  GOD. 


229 


presume  upon  my  own  holiness,  as  perfectly  free  from 
blemish  and  defilement,  when  I  am  not  permitted  so 
much  as  to  ask  pardon,  without  imploring  the  mediation 
of  the  Redeemer,  that  I  may  be  heard  1”  Thus  deeply 
laid  is  the  foundation  of  Christian  humility :  a  grace, 
above  all  others,  the  very  antidote  to  the  first-born  sin 
of  man,  and  to  every  delusion  of  Satan.  By  it  the 
Christian  is  made  meet  for  that  world  where  God  is  all 
in  all:  where  the  most  exalted  spirits  maintain  a  perpe- 
.  tual  sense  of  their  infinite  distance  from  God,  and  abase 
themselves  before  him  continually  in  the  midst  of  all 
the  transporting  manifestations  of  glory  which  they  en¬ 
joy.  "  The  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  before  Him 
that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth  for 
ever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne.” 
Rev.  4 :  10. 

Tfrese  several  particulars  present  those  excellent  dis¬ 
positions  respecting  God  which  rule  and  govern  every 
real  Christian.  Now  if  you,  who  have  read  this  descrip¬ 
tion,  live  destitute  of  any  one  of  these  dispositions  to¬ 
wards  God  your  Creator,  Redeemer  and  Sanctifier,  here 
enumerated,  you  assume  a  character,  in  calling  your¬ 
self  a  Christian,  to  which  you  have  no  scriptural  title. 
It  is  true  these  several  dispositions  are  possessed  in 
very  different  degrees  by  the  members  of  Christ’s  body, 
shining  forth  in  some  with  brighter  lustre,  in  others 
with  less,  as  one  star  differeth  from  another  star  in 
glory;  yet  the  joint  influence  of  them  all  is  essential  to 
the  very  being  of  a  real  Christian,  as  the  union  of  the 
soul  and  body  is  to  the  constitution  of  every  individual 
man.  And  with  as  much  propriety  and  truth  may  a  life 
less  corpse  be  called  a  member  of  society,  as  the  soul 
which  is  void  of  any  of  these  dispositions  be  numbered 
amongst  the  members  of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ 
For  what  can  be  conceived  more  monstrous  than  a 
Christian  who  has  no  fear  of  God  ;  a  Christian  who  pays 


230 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


no  absolute  submission  to  his  authority :  o  Christian 
who  is  ungrateful,  unbelieving,  and  altogether  selfish  j 
a  Christian  without  love  to  God  and  Christ,  without 
piety,  without  humility 'l  Take  away  one  of  these  dispo¬ 
sitions,  and  you  deprive  the  soul  of  that  which  is  a  part 
of  its  spiritual  life,  and  without  which  it  must  expire 

Examine,  therefore,  and  prove  yourself  whether  you 
belong  to  Christ.  "If  a  man  say  he  hath  faith,  and  hath 
not  works,” — that  is,  the  tempers  by  which  alone  the 
influence  and  power  of  faith  can  be  discerned,  can  that 
faith  save  him  1  You  may  omit  or  add  what  you  please 
in  the  character  of  one  you  choose  to  call  a  Christian ; 
you  may  describe  him  as  one  who  merely  worships 
among  Christians,  or  gives  his  assent  to  the  truth,  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  the  Christ  that  should  come 
into  the  world, — but  the  only  genuine  standard  of  a 
Christian  is  the  written  word  of  God.  Now  this  speaks 
aloud  to  men  at  all  times  and  in  all  ages :  it  makes  no 
difference ;  it  allows  of  no  abatement  ;  it  affirms  in  the 
most  positive  manner,  and  affirms  it  in  a  variety  of  dif¬ 
ferent  expressions,  that  "  they  that  are  Christ’s  have 
crucified  the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts.”  Gal. 
5  :  24.  That  "  if  any  man  be  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  is  a 
new  creature:”  his  heart,  once  profane,  now  pays  a 
supreme  regard  to  God ;  is  willing  to  obey  and  submit 
to  him  in  every  thing  ;  seeks  his  honor  and  approba¬ 
tion  ;  loves  him  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  delights  continually 
in  nearer  and  nearer  approaches  to  him. 

This,  this  alone  is  the  genuine  character  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian,  even  were  it  not  to  be  found  in  one  of  a  million, 
nor  in  one  of  a  nation.  To  delude  yourself  with  notions 
and  fancies,  however  popular,  however  supported  by  the 
great  and  learned,  that  you  shall  partake  of  the  benefits 
of  Christ  in  the  eternal  world,  without  being  thus  con¬ 
formed  to  his  precepts  and  example  in  this,  is  to  make 
Christianity  deservedly  the  jest  of  infidels,  and  the  scorn 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


231 


of  all  who  can  distinguish  what  is  really  excellent  from  a 
pompous  useless  profession.  As  you  prize,  therefore,  the 
salvation  of  your  own  soul ;  as  you  would  not  be  found  a 
hypocrite  in  the  day  when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  shall 
be  disclosed ;  as  you  would  not  be  the  cause  of  infidels 
blaspheming  that  worthy  name  whereby  you  are  ca’led  j 
O !  take  good  heed  to  yourself,  and  see  that  for  your 
own  part  you  are  found  a  worshipper  of  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth:  see  that  the  most  exact  observer  of  your 
manners  and  tempers  shall  be  forced,  if  he  judge  with 
candor,  to  confess  that  the  name  of  God  is  great  in 
your  eyes,  and  his  glory  all  your  aim. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

♦ 

CHRIS  TIJLJT  GRACES  AND  UISPO- 
SI TI OJVS. — con  tinned. 

THE  TEMPERS  OF  A  CHRISTIAN  TOWARDS  MEN — 
SINCERITY - JUSTICE. 

The  Scripture  teaches  us  that  God  has  made  all  things 
for  himself.  Yet  notwithstanding  the  supreme  regard 
which  the  Lord  Almighty  ever  bears  to  his  own  glory 
he  is  so  far  from  requiring  any  sort  of  homage  from  us 
which  is  detrimental  to  the  interests  of  society,  that  it 
is  impossible  to  please  God  without  exercising  every  be¬ 
nevolent  temper  towards  man  :  for  no  parent  ever  more 
affectionately  studied  the  happiness  of  his  own  offspring, 


232 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


or  delighted  in  their  harmony,  than  the  Father  of  the 
spirits  of  all  flesh  delights  in  seeing  us  obey  his  great 
command  of  loving  one  another  without  dissimulation. 

And  were  the  divine  commands  in  this  respect  uni¬ 
versally  obeyed,  the  church  of  Christ  would  be  a  per¬ 
fect  picture  of  the  heavenly  world,  one  perpetual  inter¬ 
course  of  brotherly  kindness.  It  is,  alas!  too  notorious, 
that  few  in  comparison  of  professed  believers  have  ever 
been  subject  to  this  law  of  love.  Nevertheless,  it  is  the 
noble  peculiarity  of  a  real  Christian  to  be  found  in  the 
constant  practice  of  those  tempers  which  every  man 
living  would  have  others  exercise  towards  himself;  and 
to  stand  as  much  distinguished  by  the  excellency  of  his 
deportment  towards  his  fellow-creatures,  as  he  does  by 
faith,  devotion  and  zeal  towards  God. 

I  shall  therefore  now  make  it  my  business  to  deline 
ate  those  several  lovely  tempers,  by  means  of  which  the 
Christian  proves  an  invaluable  blessing  to  society.  And 
with  respect  to  each  temper,  I  shall  point  out  the  scrip¬ 
tural  motives  which  excite  and  maintain  its  exercise. 

May  the  God  of  Christians  make  this  representation 
of  their  duty  towards  men  effectual,  to  convince  every 
reader  that  if  he  has  at  heart  the  welfare  of  society,  it 
can  only  be  promoted  to  the  utmost,  where  the  faith  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  sincerely  embraced. 

1.  In  delineating  the  tempers  of  a  Christian  towards  his 
fellow-creatures  I  shall  begin  with  that  eminent  one,  Sin 
cerity.  As  a  Christian,  then,  you  will  esteem  it  your  du¬ 
ty  constantly  to  speak  the  truth,  according  to  the  in¬ 
formation  you  have  received,  in  all  the  affairs  and  oc¬ 
currences  of  life.  You  will  lay  a  charge  upon  your  con¬ 
science  to  give  no  commendations  where  you  think  they 
are  not  due;  not  to  flatter  any  as  possessed  of  excel¬ 
lencies  which  you  see  not  in  them ;  nor  to  speak  as  if 
you  regarded  them  with  peculiar  respect,  when  you 
only  design  by  this  means  to  pay  your  court,  to  please 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


233 


the  vanity  of  the  human  heart,  or  to  deceive.  For 
though  in  the  commerce  of  the  world  and  amongst  the 
refinements  of  the  polite,  such  artifice  is  valued  as  an 
accomplishment,  it  is,  in  fact,  a  horrid  perversion  of  lan¬ 
guage,  a  piece  of  dissimulation  which  Christian  simpli¬ 
city  abhors.  And  as  sincerity  will  be  conspicuous  in  all 
your  conversation  with  respect  to  persons  and  things, 
so  the  same  excellent  temper  will  display  its  influence 
with  respect  to  all  your  promises  and  engagements. 
When  you  have  bound  yourself  by  a  promise  to  do  any 
good  office,  or  confer  any  benefit,  the  right  of  the  thing 
promised  hath,  in  the  court  of  conscience  and  before 
the  God  of  truth,  passed  over  from  you  to  the  person 
receiving  the  promise ;  wherefore  you  have,  without  his 
leave,  no  more  power  to  recall  or  reverse  it,  than  if  you 
had  given  him  a  legal  bond.  Consequently  you  will  es¬ 
teem  yourself  obliged  to  stand  to  the  performance  of 
your  word,  though  it  may  be  much  to  your  own  pre¬ 
judice.  And  this  in  every  instance  where  you  have 
made  a  promise,  unless  some  conditions  were  specified 
which  have  not  been  fulfilled,  or  something  has  af¬ 
terwards  come  to  light  which  annuls  its  obligation. 
Above  all,  you  will  show  an  inviolable  attachment  to 
sincerity  when  your  testimony  is  required  in  a  court 
of  judicature,  and  in  decision  of  matters  of  right.  Here, 
divesting  yourself  of  affection  on  the  one  hand,  and  pre¬ 
judice  on  the  other,  you  will  explain  the  true  state  of 
the  case,  and  represent  every  thing  without  disguise,  as 
it  has  fallen  under  your  notice. 

In  these  several  important  particulars,  and  in  all  simi¬ 
lar  to  them,  you  will  pay  a  conscientious  regard  to  sin¬ 
cerity.  Your  motives  also  will  be  distinct  from  those 
of  the  mere  moralist,  and  infinitely  more  cogent.  He 
may  be  an  advocate  for  truth  and  sincerity,  and  would 
have  all  men  practise  it,  because  it  is  the  cement  of  so¬ 
ciety  and  the  only  foundation  of  mutual  confidence. 


234 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Feeble  motives,  alas!  when  opposed  to  the  natural  sel¬ 
fishness  of  man,  and  to  those  violent  temptations  which 
allure  the  indigent,  and  dependent,  to  obtain  money  and 
serve  their  private  interest. 

The  consideration  of  the  character  of  the  great  and 
glorious  God  is,  on  the  contrary,  your  encouragement 
and  support,  0  Christian,  in  the  exercise  of  this  temper 
He  is  himself  the  God  of  truth;  and  it  is,  you  know, 
what  he  commands,  and  what  he  delights  in.  "  These 
are  the  things  that  ye  shall  do,”  saith  he,  "  Speak  ye 
every  man  truth  to  his  neighbor.”  Zech.  8  :  16.  The 
want  of  sincerity  he  stigmatizes  with  reproach,  and 
threatens  every  false  tongue  with  eternal  wo.  In  the 
character  which  your  God  gives  of  an  heir  of  heaven, 
you  are  assured  that  he  is  one  that  "  hateth  lying,” 
Prov.  13:5;  that  "  speaketh  the  truth  in  his  heart,” 
Psalm  15  :  2.  "Lying  lips,”  you  read,  "are  abomina¬ 
tion  to  the  Lord.”  Prov.  12  :  22.  A  mark,  that  men 
"are  of  their  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  their  fa¬ 
ther  they  will  do.”  John,  8  :  44.  And,  we  are  warned 
that  "all  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which 
burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone.”  Rev.  21:8. 

In  you,  therefore,  these  motives  will  unite  their  force ; 
namely,  a  desire  to  please  God,  and  dwell  for  ever  in 
his  presence,  and  a  fear  of  despising  his  high  and  ami¬ 
able  authority,  of  incurring  his  severe  displeasure,  and 
the  just  punishment  of  everlasting  misery.  These  mo¬ 
tives  will  arm  you  so  completely  that  you  can  meet 
with  no  evil  great  enough  to  deter,  nor  with  any  bribe 
sufficient  to  allure  you  from  the  practice  of  sincerity. 
.Add  to  this  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  every  true  be¬ 
liever  in  Jesus  Christ  receives,  is  called  "the  Spirit  of 
truth  ;”  and  his  fruit  "is  in  all  goodness,  righteousness 
and  truth.”  It  is  impossible,  therefore,  to  be  a  Christian 
and  at  the  same  time  to  live  under  the  dominion  of  a 
false  and  deceitful  tongue. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWAIIDS  MEN. 


235 


If  your  conscience,  therefore,  accuses  you  in  this 
matter,  0  cease  to  flatter  yourself  that  you  are  in  any 
degree  righteous  on  account  of  all  you  may  boast  or 
glory  in  beside.  No;  unless  you  abhor  falsehood,  and 
delight  in  sincerity  and  truth,  be  assured  it  is  not  mak¬ 
ing  many  prayers,  it  is  not  extolling  the  riches  of  free 
grace,  or  attempting  to  cover  yourself  with  the  robe  of 
the  Savior’s  righteousness  that  will  either  excuse  or 
screen  your  heinous  wickedness.  On  the  contrary,  if 
you  can  thus  monstrously  abuse  the  grace  of  God  it 
only  proves  that  your  idea  of  him  is  infinitely  low ; 
that  you  conceive  of  him,  as  if  he  could  be  pleased  with 
what  would  even  kindle  your  own  resentment,  with  de¬ 
ceitful  compliment  and  unmeaning  adulation;  as  if  he 
would  regard  words  or  speculative  notions,  whilst  in  the 
weighty  matters  of  his  law  you  set  at  nought  his  coun¬ 
sel.  No  :  sincerity  and  truth  are  the  very  essence  of 
Christian  practice  ;  and  if  you  are  a  believer  you  will 
eminently  possess  these  shining  qualities. 

2.  It  is  the  temper  of  a  Christian  constantly  to  act  to- 
towards  his  fellow-creatures  with  Justice.  Has  the  pro¬ 
vidence  of  God  placed  you  in  some  public  post,  invest¬ 
ing  you  with  the  dignity  of  a  magistrate,  a  senator,  or 
a  judge  1  you  will  vigorously  oppose  oppression,  and 
punish  the  oppressor :  you  will  be  active  to  put  salutary 
laws  in  execution,  to  establish  tranquillity  and  pro¬ 
mote  peace:  you  will  be  mindful  of  God,  the  high  or- 
dainer  of  all  civil  government,  to  whom  every  one  en¬ 
trusted  with  the  discharge  of  any  part  of  it  stands  as 
strictly  accountable  as  the  steward  to  his  master.  What 
God  so  solemnly  commands  will  form  your  public  cha¬ 
racter:  "Ye  shall  do  no  unrighteousness  in  judg¬ 
ment.  Thou  shalt  not  respect  the  person  of  the  poor, 
nor  honor  the  person  of  the  mighty ;  but  in  righteous¬ 
ness  shalt  thou  judge  thy  neighbor.”  Levit.  19  :  15. 
"  He  that  ruleth  over  men,”  (like  the  Prince  of  Peace, 


236 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


to  whom  the  words  primarily  refer,)  "  must  be  just, 
ruling  in  the  fear  of  God :  and  he  shall  be  as  the  light 
of  the  morning,  when  the  sun  riseth,  even  a  morning 
without  clouds ;  as  the  tender  grass  springeth  out  of 
the  earth  by  clear  shining  after  rain.”  2  Sam.  23  :  3,  4. 

Have  you  riches  in  such  abundance  as  to  create  nu¬ 
merous  dependents  1  you  will  exercise  Christian  justice 
towards  them  all :  you  will  scorn  to  grasp  after  the  ut¬ 
most  farthing  your  estates  can  produce,  till  your  ten¬ 
ants,  wedded  as  it  were  to  the  place  of  their  nativity, 
groan  beneath  the  load  of  rents  unreasonably  advanced  : 
you  will  perceive  an  inexpressible  degree  of  injustice 
also  in  the  fashionable  custom  of  owing  large  sums  for 
your  furniture,  equipage  and  dress,  whilst  your  trades¬ 
men  are  almost  at  their  wits’  end  to  pay  for  the  things 
you  call  your  own  ;  whilst  they  are  daily  tortured  with 
the  dilemma  of  bankruptcy,  if  they  recover  not  their 
debts  ;  or  of  ruin  through  the  cruel  resentment  of  their 
opulent  creditors,  if  they  do.. 

Your  rule  is  positive  and  express,  ”  Owe  no  man  any 
thing,  but  to  love  one  another ;”  and  the  opposite  prac¬ 
tice,  though  punishable  in  the  rich  by  no  human  law 
(except  in  extreme  cases,)  is  marked  as  the  object  of 
God’s  abhorrence,  and  the  certain  way  to  fall  under 
the  severity  of  his  displeasure.  ”  Behold,  the  hire  of 
the  laborers  who  have  reaped  down  your  fields,  which 
is  of  you  kept  back  by  fraud,  crieth :  and  the  cries  of 
them  which  have  reaped  are  entered  into  the  ears  of 
the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  Ye  have  lived  in  pleasure  on  the 
earth,  and  been  wanton.”  James,  5:  4,  5.  The  applica¬ 
tion  of  this  Scripture,  from  the  day-laborer  to  every 
person  in  trade,  whose  money  is  unreasonably  withheld, 
will  be  obvious  and  effectual  to  you,  who  regard  the  re¬ 
proofs  of  God  in  his  holy  word. 

But  are  you  occupied  yourself  in  bade  or  merchandise , 
then  the  energy  of  your  Christian  principles  will  show 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


237 


itself  in  a  still  stronger  light.  You  will  not  suffer  the 
love  of  money  to  bias  or  corrupt  your  conscience.  You 
will  take  no  advantage  either  of  the  ignorance  or  ne¬ 
cessity  of  those  you  deal  with,  to  put  bad  things  into 
their  hands  for  good,  or  to  exact  an  exorbitant  price. 
You  will  neither  take,  nor  use,  nor  detain  through  force 
or  fraud,  what  is  your  neighbor’s  property. 

Now  if  any  one  should  say,  it  is  nat  possible  to  live 
so  honestly  in  the  present  state  of  the  world  ;  that  the 
righteous  man,  by  dealing  so  conscientiously  in  the 
midst  of  those  who  have  no  conscience,  would  make 
himself  a  prey,  and  therefore .  must  either  leave  his 
trade  or  starve  in  it :  I  answer,  that  violent  as  the 
temptations,  and  plausible  as  the  pleas  are,  to  conform 
to  general  custom,  in  conniving  at  breaches  of  hones¬ 
ty,  and  in  living  upon  the  wages  of  iniquity ;  yet  the 
motives  for  you  to  be  punctually  just  and  righteous  in 
ail  your  dealings,  if  you  have  any  title  to  the  character 
of  a  Christian,  must  still  preponderate.  For  (whatever 
is  the  case  with  others,  who  have  never  received  the 
word  of  God  in  deed  and  in  truth)  you  know  how  ex¬ 
press  and  peremptory  is  the  command  of  your  God  in 
this  matter.  You  know  that-  God,  who  indispensably 
requires  you  to  be  honest,  leaves  no  foundation  for  the 
worldly  and  infidel  excuses  constantly  urged  to  palliate 
cheating,  viz.  the  necessity  of  being  dishonest  in  order 
to  prosper :  for  he  pledges  his  own  most  sacred  word 
for  your  provision,  if  you  will  deal  uprightly.  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  the  most  high  God,  possessor  of  heaven 
and  earth,  "  Thou  shalt  not  have  in  thy  bag  divers 
weights,  a  great  and  a  small,  (that  is,  one  to  buy  and 
another  to  sell  with.)  Thou  shalt  not  have  in  thine 
house  divers  measures,  a  great  and  a  small  But  thou 
shalt  have  a  perfect  and  just  weight,  a  perfect  and  just 
measure  shalt  thou  have :  that  thy  days  may  be  length¬ 
ened  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee. 


238 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


For  all  that  do  such  things,  and  all  that  do  unrighv 
eously,  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord  thy  God.”  Deut. 
25  :  13-16.  You  hear  him  expressing  his  abhorrence 
of  the  iniquity,  so  customary  in  trade,  in  the  most 
alarming  manner:  "Are  there  yet  the  treasures  of 
wickedness  in  the  house  of  the  wicked,  and  the  scant 
measure,  that  is  abominable  'l  Shall  I  count  them  pure 
with  the  wicked  balances,  and  with  the  bag  of  deceitful 
weights  1  For  the  rich  men  thereof  are  full  of  violence, 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof  have  spoken  lies,  and  their 
tongue  is  deceitful  in  their  mouth.  Therefore  also  will 
I  make  thee  sick  in  smiting  thee,  in  making  thee  deso¬ 
late  because  of  thy  sins.”  Micah,  6  :  10-13. 

Should  it  be  supposed  that  regard  for  yourself  and 
family  will  gain  the  ascendency,  and  be  prompting  you 
to  use  common  arts  of  fraud ;  I  answer,  that  even  this 
pressing  temptation  will  be  counteracted  by  the  un¬ 
alterable  declarations  of  your  God:  "Wo  unto  him 
that  buildeth  his  house  with  unrighteousness,  and  his 
chambers  by  wrong.”  Jer.  22  :  13.  "Be  not  deceived: 
— neither  thieves,  nor  covetous, — nor  extortioners, — 
shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.”  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10. 
Besides,  the  Lord  that  bought  you  with  his  own  blood, 
and  from  whose  grace  alone  you  expect  the  gift  of  sal¬ 
vation,  has  commanded  you  to  conform  in  your  whole 
conduct  to  the  following  rule :  "  Therefore,  all  things 
whatsoever  you  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you, 
<?ven  so  do  unto  them,  for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
prophets.” 

Were  you ,  therefore,  after  these  full  instructions, 
which  you  receive  as  the  irrevocable  righteous  decrees 
of  the  Almighty,  were  you  to  do  any  thing  unjustly,  you 
know  you  must  renounce  both  the  authority  of  Gocl 
and  your  interest  in  the  redemption  which  is  in  Jesus. 
You  know,  that  the  very  day  you  determine  to  follow 
the  evil  customs  of  the  world  in  this  point,  you  must 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


239 


bid  farewell  to  all  solid  peace  of  conscience,  forfeit  that 
delightful  communion  with  God,  which  has  been  the 
sweetest  enjoyment  of  your  life,  and  give  up  the  pleas¬ 
ing  expectation  of  a  blessed  immortality )  for  remorse, 
for  fear,  or  what  is  worse,  for  a  conscience  past  feeling 

Comparing,  therefore,  things  spiritual  with  things  tem¬ 
poral,  you  will  determine  that  honesty  is  always  the  best 
policy.  And  though  you  know  that  injustice  and  fraud 
possess  so  powerful  an  influence  over  the  world,  that 
you  may  "  run  to  and  fro  through  the  streets,”  and 
”  seek  to  find  a  man,  if  there  he  any,  that  executeth 
judgment  5”  yet,  unseduced  and  uncorrupted  by  the 
multitude  of  sinners,  you  will  pity  those  who  purchase 
gain  at  the  expense  of  their  integrity.  ”  Surely,”  you 
will  say,  "  they  have  made  their  faces  harder  than  a 
rock.  Surely, — they  know  not  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
nor  the  judgment  of  their  God.”  Jer.  5  :  3,  4. 

Further,  Are  you  the  head  of  a  family  ?  you  will  then 
regard  it  as  a  grand  branch  of  your  Christian  duty,  to 
give  unto  your  servants  that  which  is  just  and  equal. 
You  will  not  treat  them  with  haughtiness,  because  of 
their  dependent  state :  you  will  recede  from  no  engage¬ 
ment  into  which  you  have  entered  with  them,  nor  with¬ 
hold  wages  which  are  due  :  you  will  make  a  conscience 
of  not  exacting  from  them  harder  labor  than  they  are 
well  able  to  perform.  In  case  of  slight  misdemeanors, 
you  will  not  provoke  them  with  threatenings,  nor  gall 
them  with  words  of  abuse ;  nor,  when  you  observe  them 
faithful  in  your  service,  be  backward  to  give  them  suit¬ 
able  encouragement.  Above  all,  you  will  abhor  that 
custom  which  is  an  indelible  reproach  to  a  civilized, 
much  more  to  a  Christian  country,  of  abandoning  them 
in  the  time  of  their  sickness ;  and  through  fear  of  pay¬ 
ing  for  their  cure,  turning  them  out  without  money, 
without  friends,  when  their  condition  loudly  calls  for 
medicine,  for  attendance  and  compassion. 


240 


COMPLETE  DUT if  OF  MAX. 


The  command  of  your  God  respecting  the  justice 
due  from  masters  to  their  servants  is  most  express,  and 
the  care  he  has  taken  to  procure  for  them  a  benevolent 
regard,  from  all  who  reverence  his  authority,  is  very 
remarkable.  You  hear  him,  in  their  behalf,  thus  ad¬ 
dressing  you:  "Thou  shalt  not  oppress  an  hired  ser¬ 
vant  that  is  poor  and  needy — lest  he  cry  against  thee 
to  the  Lord,  and  it  be  sin  unto  thee.”  Deut.  24  :  14,  15. 
You  are  assured  that  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  like 
an  impartial  loving  father,  equally  resents  the  wrong 
done  to  any  of  his  offspring ;  and  with  him  is  no  re¬ 
spect  of  persons.  The  knowledge  of  this  will  lead  you 
to  regard  your  domestic  dependents  in  a  respectful 
light ;  it  will  lead  you  to  repress  the  emotions  of  a  self¬ 
ish,  hasty  spirit,  as  the  faithful  Job  was  wont  to  do :  "  If 
I  did  despise  the  cause  of  my  man-servant  or  of  my 
maid-servant,  when  they  contended  with  me  — that  is, 
if  in  any  matter  of  debate  betwixt  them  and  myself,  1 
paid  little  regard  to  justice,  condemning  and  accusing 
them  when  guiltless,  or  treating  them  with  harshness 
because  in  my  power; — "what  shall  I  then  do  when 
God  riseth  up  1  and  when  he  visiteth,  what  shall  I  an¬ 
swer  him  1  Did  not  he  that  made  me  in  the  womb, 
make  him!  and  did  not  one  fashion  us  in  the  wombl” 
Job,  31  :  13-15.  Thus  the  awful  thought  that  you  have 
a  Master  in  heaven,  will  regulate  your  deportment  to¬ 
wards  your  fellow-creatures,  over  whom  his  providence 
has  given  you  authority. 

So  essential  to  the  character  of  a  real  Christian  is  this 
part  of  justice,  which  is  due  from  all  masters  to  their 
servants,  that  whosoever  lives  in  the  violation  of  this 
duty  does  but  expose  himself  and  the  faith  of  Jesus  to 
derision,  by  pretending  a  regard  for  it.  For  what  can 
be  more  absurd,  what  more  odious,  than  a  man  pretend¬ 
ing  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus,  who  is  a  tyrant  in  his 
house,  and  frantic  towards  his  servants'?  One  of  the 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


241 


most  melancholy  objects  on  earth  is  a  passionate  go¬ 
vernor  of  a  family,  calling  himself  a  believer,  and  vain 
ing  himself  on  his  relation  to  Christ.  All  the  servants 
who  are  connected  with  him,  and  all  who  observe  his 
carriage  towards  them,  will  be  led  to  despise  and  to  re¬ 
vile  that  religion  which  they  see  joined  with  such  loath 
some  hypocrisy.  Out  of  regard,  therefore,  to  the  name 
and  Gospel  of  Jesus,  that  it  may  not  through  you  be 
blasphemed,  as  well  as  from  a  sense  of  interest  and  a 
love  to  the  commands  of  your  Savior,  you,  O  Christian! 
will  give  no  occasion  for  your  servants  to  complain  of 
your  unjust  deportment  towards  them. 

But  if,  instead  of  the  place  of  authority  and  govern¬ 
ment,  the  all- wise  God  has  fixed  you  in  that  of  subjec¬ 
tion,  as  a  servant  or  an  apprentice ,  you  will  faithfully 
follow  the  directions  which  the  Scripture  gives  you 
for  the  exercise  of  justice  in  that  condition  of  life.  You 
will  abhor  the  thought  of  wasting,  embezzling,  or  se¬ 
creting  to  your  own  use  any  of  your  master’s  money, 
goods  or  provisions.  You  will  neither  do  this  yourself 
nor  basely  connive  at  others  who  are  wicked  enough  to 
do  it.  You  will  not  see  things  spoiled  before  your  eyes; 
nor  give  away  to  tattlers  and  busy-bodies  what  is  not 
your  own  to  give.  You  will  not  be  idle  and  slothful 
because  those  are  absent  who  are  to  overlook  you  and 
force  you  to  diligence.  You  will  think  it  your  duty  to 
consult  the  interest  of  your  master,  and  to  make  it  in 
some  sense  your  own. 

The  motives  which  influence  you,  if  you  have  any 
title  to  be  called  a  Christian,  to  do  so  much  more  in 
this  respect  than  it  is  common  to  find  other  servants 
doing,  are  peculiar  and  mighty  in  operation.  You  will 
act  thus  from  a  principle  of  conscience — concerned  to 
be  approved  by  God  in  your  behavior,  and  determined 
to  do  nothing  knowingly  and  wilfully  that  is  offensive 
to  him,  whether  any  besides  himself  are  present  to  ob- 

Puty  of  Man.  1  1 


242 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


serve  you,  or  not.  From  a  desire  also  to  adorn  and 
recommend  to  others  that  Gospel  of  which  you  know 
the  excellency,  you  will  be  uniform  in  the  practice  of 
honesty  and  justice.  In  this  substantial  manner  you 
will  evidence  that  your  faith  is  more  than  a  barren  no* 
tion ;  by  proving  that  it  makes  you  worthy  of  all  the 
confidence  your  master  can  place  in  you,  and  that  it 
preserves  you  from  falling  into  those  lies  or  frauds  so 
generally  the  practice  of  servants  in  almost  every  fami¬ 
ly.  This  conscientious  honesty  you  will  regard  as  one 
of  the  most  substantial  proofs  that  you  know  God. 
You  will  judge  that  your  master  must  necessarily  mock 
at  your  religion,  and  with  justice  too,  however  zealous 
you  may  seem,  if  he  should  find  that  you  pilfer  as 
others,  and  that  you  are  not  to  be  trusted  when  re¬ 
moved  from  his  inspection. 

Now  whatever  opposition  and  hatred  you  may  incur 
by  such  conscientious  deportment,  you  will  patiently 
endure ;  assured  that  in  doing  your  duty  in  this  man¬ 
ner,  and  upon  these  principles,  you  shall  receive  from 
God  the  gracious  reward  of  an  everlasting  inheritance. 
And  though  the  value  of  your  services,  or  the  things  in 
which  you  discover  your  integrity,  be  little  in  the  judg¬ 
ment  of  the  world ;  you  know  they  shall  witness  for 
you  that  you  were  faithful  and  obedient,  and  like  the 
widow’s  mite,  be  as  much  in  the  sight  of  God  as  greatei 
services  :  since  he,  where  there  is  a  willing  mind,  ac 
cepteth  according  to  what  a  man  hath,  and  not  accord 
uig  to  what  he  hath  not. 

But  lest  such  promises  should  not  alone  prove  suffi¬ 
cient  to  animate  you  to  the  practice  of  justice,  you 
know  from  the  infallible  word  of  God  that  no  fraud, 
however  common,  however  slightly  thought  of,  either 
in  wasting  your  master’s  substance  or  neglecting  his 
business,  much  less  in  purloining  his  goods,  if  persisted 
in,  will  be  overlooked ;  that  "  every  one  that  doeth 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


243 


wrong,  shall  receive  for  the  wrong  that  he  doeth,”  whe¬ 
ther  poor  or  rich,  master  or  servant. 

Another  important  instance  in  which  every  real  Chris¬ 
tian  manifests  his  impartial  love  of  justice,  is  by  pay¬ 
ing  those  cusiojtis  or  duties  which  are  by  law  enacted. 
This  very  thing  is  expressly  mentioned  and  enjoined 
by  the  command  of  your  God.  You  are  to  give  "tri¬ 
bute  to  Avhom  tribute,  and  custom  to  whom  custom  is 
due.”  Besides  this  most  express  command,  you  have 
the  example  of  your  Redeemer.  When  he  had  neither 
silver  nor  gold,  he  wrought  a  miracle  that  he  might 
pay  the  tribute  exacted  of  him  and  his  poor  disciple. 
He  did  this,  rather  than  seem  to  countenance  the  ini¬ 
quity  of  defrauding  the  crown  of  its  just  revenues. 
You  will  therefore  renounce  the  custom  too  common 
in  trade,  of  attempting  either  to  bribe  the  public  offi¬ 
cers  to  betray  their  trust,  or  to  elude  their  utmost 
vigilance.  You  will  renounce  such  practices  as  utterly 
irreconcilable  with  any  regard  to  Christian  duty. 

The  last  instance  of  justice  which  I  shall  insist  on, 
is  that  of  restitution  to  all  whom  you  have  wilfully  in¬ 
jured,  either  in  their  souls  or  their  bodies,  their  estate 
or  reputation.  Have  you  led  any  friend  or  acquaint¬ 
ance  into  error,  or  tempted  them  to  sin  1  Have  you 
solicited  and  obtained  their  compliance  to  some  base 
and  guilty  practice  1  The  first  step  you  will  necessa¬ 
rily  take,  when  you  yourself  repent  and  believe  in 
Jesus,  will  be  to  endeavor  to  recover  from  danger 
your  companions  in  iniquity;  and,  as  far  as  lieth  in 
you,  to  make  them  sensible  of  the  crimes  in  which 
you  have  shared,  alas !  so  deeply  with  them.  In  case 
you  have  defrauded  any  one,  you  will  (like  Zaccheus 
upon  his  first  receiving  the  Savior)  make  what  restitu¬ 
tion  you  are  able ;  esteeming  it  a  baseness  provoking 
in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  to  live  yourself  in  super¬ 
fluities,  whilst  others  are  suffering  loss  through  your 


244 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


former  injustice.  All  evidences  of  the  truth  of  your 
faith  you  must  esteem  utterly  deceitful,  if  you  can 
enjoy  the  spoils  of  which  you  have  defrauded  your 
neighbor. 

Further,  as  a  good  name  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than 
great  riches,  if  at  any  time,  through  private  resentment 
or  licentiousness  of  speech,  you  have  been  either  the 
inventor  or  propagator  of  a  falsehood  to  the  injury  of 
your  neighbor;  you  will  think  it  a  part  of  justice  to 
make  a  particular  retraction  of  the  calumny  you  advan¬ 
ced.  For  though  it  may  be  prejudicial  to  your  own 
reputation  thus  to  point  out  the  truth ;  though  it  may 
make  the  world  abate  the  esteem  which  they  at  present 
have  for  you;  this  esteem  belongs  not  to  you,  but  to 
the  person  you  have  injured ;  and  to  him  you  must  re¬ 
turn  it,  though  you  expose  yourself.  For  however  mor¬ 
tifying  this  procedure  may  appear,  it  is  absolutely  ne¬ 
cessary  ;  and  is  the  only  proof  that  you  repent,  and 
abhor  the  falsehood  and  licentiousness  of  your  tongue. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  HEN. 


24.!, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

CHRISTIAN  GRACES  AND  MSPO- 
SSTI  OJVS'—c&h  tinned, 

MERCY - MEEKNESS. 

t  % 

Of  sincerity  and  justice,  as  essentially  requisite  to 
the  character  of  a  Christian,  we  have  already  spoken. 
These  virtues,  when  practised  in  the  degree  in  which 
they  have  been  here  explained,  are  too  often  thought 
to  comprehend  all  that  can  be  required  of  man.  It  must 
however  be  remembered  that  these  are  but  the  least 
considerable  of  the  branches  which  spring  from  the 
root  of  faith  in  Christ.  Where  this  root  is  fixed  in  the 
heart,  such  negative  righteousness  towards  men  will  in 
no  wise  be  deemed  sufficient,  nor  will  you  rest  satisfied 
with  bare  freedom  from  wilfully  injuring,  or  deceiving 
any  of  your  fellow-creatures ;  on  the  contrary,  to  the  con¬ 
scientious  observance  of  truth  and  justice  you  will  add, 

3.  The  love  and  practice  of  Mercy.  Whenever  the 
providence  of  God  places  the  miserable  before  your 
eyes,  as  it  did  of  old  the  wounded  traveller  before  the 
priest  and  Levite,  you  will  be  moved  to  compassion. 
Their  pains  and  diseases  of  body,  their  troubles  and 
distresses  of  mind,  their  necessitous  circumstances, 
their  unjust  sufferings  from  others,  and  even  the  mise¬ 
ries  brought  upon  themselves  by  their  own  iniquity, 
will  excite  in  you  a  fellow-feeling  for  them.  So  that  if 
you  have  wealth,  such  objects  will  receive  liberal  relief 
from  your  bounty.  After  the  example  of  Job,  because 
actuated  by  the  same  spirit,  you  will  become  in  the 
distribution  of  your  alms,  "  eyes  to  the  blind,  feet  to 


2415 


COM!  LKTE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  lame,  and  a  father  ”  to  the  afflicted  poor.  "  The 
blessing  of  Him  that  was  ready  to  perish  will  daily 
come  upon  you,  and  you  will  cause  the  widow’s  heart 
to  sing  for  joy.” 

But  if  you  are  not  in  circumstances  to  give  plente 
ously,  still  the  temper  of  your  heart  will  be  no  less 
friendly  and  charitable  than  if  you  were.  Though  poor, 
your  bowels  will  yearn  towards  the  distressed ;  and 
though  you  have  neither  bread  of  your  own  to  deal  to 
the  hungry,  nor  know  where  to  make  application  for 
their  relief,  there  still  remains  one  way  in  which  your 
merciful  disposition  will  evidence  itself — a  way  pleas¬ 
ing  to  God  and  profitable  to  men ; — you  will  make 
your  intercession  to  the  Father  of  all  mercies  and  the 
God  of  all  consolation,  to  put  an  end  to  their  afflictions, 
or  to  support  them  under  the  pressure. 

Further,  you  will  exercise  mercy,  if  you  are  a  fol¬ 
lower  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  towards  those  whom 
either  the  injuries  they  have  done  you,  or  the  debts  for 
which  they  stand  answerable,  have  put  in  your  power 
to  punish.  In  such  cases,  where  mercy  to  the  wretched 
individual  will  not  prove  a  barbarous  lenity  to  the  com¬ 
munity  in  general,  you  will  relax  in  your  demands,  and 
waive  the  rigorous  execution  of  the  law.  More  espe¬ 
cially,  and  without  exception,  where  the  appointments 
of  God’s  providence  have  disabled  those  indebted  to 
you  from  answering  your  legal  demands,  you  will 
abhor  the  thought  of  afflicting  him  ”  whom  God  hath 
wounded.”  You  will  reject  with  indignation  the  world¬ 
ly  maxim  of  seeking  some  sort  of  satisfaction  in  lieu 
of  your  debt,  by  causing  the  man  by  whom  you  suffer 
to  lie  in  a  jail.  For  the  same  reason,  you  will  in  all 
cases  where  the  innocent  must  suffer  with  the  guilty, 
choose  rather  to  be  a  sufferer  in  some  degree  yourself, 
than  bring  many,  for  the  fault  of  one,  into  misery,  by 
taking  away  the  support  of  a  whole  family. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


247 


Besides  these  cases,  there  is  one  in  which  a  Chris¬ 
tian’s  merciful  temper  shines  with  the  greatest  lustre  ;  I 
mean  in  tenderly  regarding  the  spiritual  miseries  and 
dangers  of  the  human  race.  It  is,  I  confess,  generous 
and  noble  to  alleviate  and  remove  the  sufferings  of  the 
body,  and  to  take  a  pleasure  in  doing  good  to  them  who 
are  in  adversity,  by  liberal  gifts.  Yet  how  limited,  how 
partial,  how  transient  are  the  benefits !  What  can  alms 
avail  to  comfort,  where  every  distemper  of  the  mind 
still  rages  1  Pride,  envy,  hatred,  wrath,  malice,  strife, 
or  sensuality  destroy  all  good,  all  enjoyment  of  com¬ 
fort  in  families.  You  relieve  the  family  day  by  day,  but 
the  husband  abuses  his  wife,  beats  and  terrifies  his 
children ;  or  the  proud  imperious  wife  vexes  her  hus¬ 
band,  drives  him  into  drunkenness  as  a  refuge  from  her 
unworthy  conduct ;  or  the  children,  after  the  bad  exam 
pies  they  see  at  home,  grow  in  wickedness  as  in  stature, 
and  are  trained  to  mischief  and  to  increase  the  guilt 
and  wretchedness  of  the  world  by  their  evil  tempers. 
In  every  station  and  walk  of  life,  immortal  souls  are 
provoking  their  adorable  Maker  and  Benefactor  to  jea 
lousy ;  spurning  his  counsel  and  his  salvation,  and  heap 
ing  up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath.  These  are  the 
great  objects  which,  louder  than  even  widows  or  or¬ 
phans,  call  for  mercy,  and  the  most  active  exertions  of 
our  pity.  These  things  will  awaken  a  lively  pity  in 
your  heart  if  you  are  a  Christian  in  truth.  You  cannot 
without  a  tender  sorrow,  see  immortal  souls  provoking 
the  great  God  to  jealousy,  and  spurning  the  offers  of 
his  salvation.  As  you  firmly  believe  all  the  realities  of 
the  invisible  world,  you  must  be  much  affected  with 
such  a  melancholy  spectacle  ;  "  I  beheld,”  you  will 
say,  ”  the  transgressors,  and  was  grieved  because  men 
kept  not  thy  law.” 

And  this  compassion  to  the  souls  of  men  will  inspire 
you  with  activity  and  zeal  to  save  them  from  ruin 


248 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


You  will  labor  to  turn  sinners  from  the  error  of  their 
ways ; — by  private  entreaties  and  winning  persuasions, 
by  faithful  and  strong  declarations  of  their  danger, 
where  there  is  an  opportunity  of  speaking,  any  ear  to 
hear,  or  lucid  interval  of  reflection; — by  distributing 
heart-searching  books,  and  by  assisting  those  who  are 
engaged  in  the  important  work  of  spreading  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  Lord. 

If  you  ask,  what  is  there  peculiar  to  the  real  Chris¬ 
tian  by  which  a  disposition  so  extensively  merciful  is 
excited  and  maintained  1  I  answer,  the  reverence  he 
pays  to  the  command  of  God,  and  the  full  persuasion 
he  enjoys  of  the  truth  of  his  promises;  but  still  more, 
the  sense  he  Ins  of  his  own  redemption  by  Christ,  and 
the  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  his  heart. 

The  command  of  God  to  be  merciful  is  most  express 
and  frequent :  "  If  there  be  among  you  a  poor  man  of 
one  of  thy  brethren, — thou  shalt  not  harden  thy  heart, 
nor  shut  thine  hand  from  thy  poor  brother ;  but  thou 
shalt  open  thine  hand  wide  unto  him.  Beware  that  thine 
eye  be  not  evil  against  thy  poor  brother ;  and  thou 
givest  him  nought,  and  he  cry  unto  the  Lord  against 
thee,  and  it  be  sin  unto  thee.  Thou  shalt  surely  give 
him.”  Deut.  15  :  7-10.  In  every  description  of  the  tem¬ 
pers  which  God  enjoins  us  to  show  to  our  fellow-crea¬ 
tures,  the  merciful  temper  bears  a  very  distinguished 
part.  "  He  hath  shown  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good :  and 
what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly, 
and  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God  1” 
Micah,  6:8.  In  his  estimate,  "pure  and  undefiled  reli¬ 
gion,”  as  it  respects  our  fellow-creatures,  "  is  to  visit 
the  widow  and  the  fatherless  in  their  affliction.”  No 
duty  is  more  frequently  urged  than  this:  "Be  ye  there¬ 
fore  merciful,  as  your  heavenly  Father  also  is  merciful.” 
Luke,  6  :  36.  "  Be  ye  all  of  one  mind,  having  compas¬ 
sion  one  of  another.”  1  Pet.  3  :  8. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


249 


And  as  these  commands  of  God  prove  the  necessity 
of  a  merciful  temper  in  all  who  are  approved  by  him,  so 
do  his  repeated  promises  invite  and  encourage  the  Chris¬ 
tian  to  the  practice  of  it.  For  though  none  of  these  pro¬ 
mises  imply  any  worth  in  a  merciful  temper,  where  it 
subsists  together  with  love  of  sin,  or  enmity  to  the  cross 
of  Christ ;  though  they  are  not  to  be  construed  as  if 
mercy  would  be  rewarded  independently  of  faith  in  the 
Redeemer ;  yet  are  they  of  great  efficacy  to  remove 
the  objections  which  are  generally  made  by  our  world¬ 
ly  hearts  against  the  exercise  of  love  and  bounty:  since 
they  so  fully  assure  us,  that  all  acts  of  beneficence 
which  spring  from  faith,  from  love  to  God,  and  an  obe¬ 
dient  heart,  are  well-pleasing  to  him,  and  shall  be 
honored  through  his  grace  with  an  immense  reward. 
"  Blessed  are  the  merciful :  for  they  shall  obtain  mer¬ 
cy.”  Matt.  5  :  7.  "  He  which  converteth  a  sinner  from 
the  error  of  his  way,  shall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and 
hide  a  multitude  of  sins.”  James,  5  :  20.  "  A  new  com¬ 
mandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another ; 
as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By 
this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye 
have  love  one  to  another.”  John,  13:34,  35.  Add  to 
this  that  astonishing  declaration  of  the  Redeemer’s  re 
gard  to  this  excellent  temper,  even  from  his  throne  of 
judgment,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  universe. 
He  will  then  reward  every  exercise  of  mercy,  as  if  it 
had  been  conferred  immediately  on  himself,  as  if  the 
afflictions  it  relieved  had  been  sustained  in  his  own  per¬ 
son  j  as  if  he  alone  had  received  benefit  and  consolation 
from  it ; — "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
me.”  Matt.  25  :  40. 

But  still  even  beyond  the  force  of  these  powerful  pre¬ 
cepts  and  promises,  your  own  sense  of  redemption  by  the 
blood  of  the  cross  will  excite  and  maintain  in  you  a  rea- 

11* 


250 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


diness  and  delight  in  every  kind  of  mercy.  You  remem¬ 
ber  your  apostacy  from  God  to  have  been  such,  by  “na¬ 
tural  disposition,  and  to  have  been  so  confirmed  by 
practice,  that  it  would  have  been  just  had  God  destroy¬ 
ed  you,  both  body  and  soul,  in  hell.  But,  instead  of  this 
insupportable  doom,  you,  0  Christian,  know  that  God 
"  commended  his  love  towards  us,  in  that  whilst  we 
were  yet  sinners  Christ  died  for  us.”  An  instance  of 
mercy  absolutely  without  a  parallel,  both  in  itself  and 
its  beneficial  efficacy  to  the  church  of  God.  This,  you 
know,  is  the  only  foundation  of  your  peace  and  hope 
this  is  all  your  salvation  and  all  your  desire.  In  conse¬ 
quence  of  your  living  under  affecting  views  of  such 
transcendent  grace,  by  which  you  are  reconciled  to 
God  and  made  his  heir,  the  love  of  Christ  will  con¬ 
strain  you  ;  with  a  pleasing  energy  it  will  urge  you  to 
all  the  various  exercises  of  brotherly-kindness  and  cha¬ 
rity.  A  delightful  emotion  of  mind,  resulting  from  these 
views,  peculiar  to  true  believers,  will  impel  you,  even 
without  an  immediate  regard  either  to  the  command  or 
promises  of  God,  to  this  practical  conclusion, — "  Be¬ 
loved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love  one 
another.”  1  John,  4:  11.  • 

Further,  besides  these  awful  commands  and  these 
inviting  promises,  besides  the  warmth  and  strength  of 
God’s  mercy  towards  men,  manifested  in  the  death  of 
Jesus,  the  mighty  influence  also  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
promised  to  dwell  with  the  Christian.  By  his  agency, 
through  the  means  of  motives  offered  in  the  written 
word,  he  is  delivered  from  the  unfeeling  selfishness  or 
the  partial  good-will  natural  to  the  human  heart.  For 
the  fruit  of  that  Spirit  which  distinguishes  and  infinitely 
ennobles  every  true  believer  in  Jesus,  is  expressly  af¬ 
firmed  to  be  love ,  and  to  be  in  all  goodness. 

4.  Meekness  is  an  essential  branch  of  the  Christian 
temper. 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


251 


If  you  are  a  believer  in  Jesus  you  wilx  not  hastily 
take  offence ,  or  yield  to  the  suggestions  of  pride  and 
self-love.  A  trivial  injury,  a  reproachful  word,  a  small 
indiscretion,  or  a  casual  loss  will  not  inflame  your  mind. 
Nay,  supposing  you  are  tried  by  some  great  provoca¬ 
tion,  you  will  watch  over  your  own  selfish  spirit  with 
a  godly  jealousy ;  lest  you  should  be  hurried  into  pas¬ 
sion  by  ill-usage,  or  drawn  by  the  misconduct  of  others 
to  dishonor  your  holy  profession,  to  bring  guilt  upon 
your  own  soul,  and  grieve  the  Spirit  of  God.  Even 
when  you  suffer  such  considerable  injuries  as  render  it 
a  duty  to  seek  redress,  you  will  still  exercise  meekness. 
You  will  first  use  every  mild  method  to  bring,  if  possi¬ 
ble,  your  adversary  to  reason.  You  will  be  disposed  to 
try  arguments  before  punishment,  conference  before 
law,  and  private  admonition  before  you  proceed  to 
make  public  example.  And,  if  at  length  your  own  se¬ 
curity  or  the  common  good  compel  you  to  seek  relief 
from  the  interference  of  public  justice,  even  this  will 
be  done  by  you  with  calmness,  without  passionate  ex¬ 
clamations  or  bitter  reflections  upon  your  enemy. 

Further:  You  must,  as  a  real  Christian,  show  the 
meekness  of  your  spirit  by  carefully  avoiding  just  cause 
of  offence  to  others.  For  this  excellent  grace  does  not 
more  effectually  support  under  provocations  than  enable 
men  to  deny  their  own  inclinations  rather  than  give  un¬ 
easiness.  It  will  make  you  cautious  that  neither  your 
words  nor  actions  carry  with  them  any  provocation. 
You  will  not  be  overbearing  in  company,  nor  positive 
and  warm  in  asserting  your  own  opinion  and  sense  of 
things.  You  will  be  civil  and  respectful  to  every  one. 
Men  generally  know  how  to  do  all  this  where  they 
think  it  necessary  to  serve  their  temporal  interests : 
from  better  principles  and  from  higher  views  you  will 
make  it  the  habitual  exercise  of  your  life  towards 
every  one. 


252 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


And  to  mention  no  more  instances  in  which  your 
Christian  meekness  will  eminently  discover  itself,  you 
will  show  that  you  are  under  the  government  of  this 
temper  in  your  religion.  Instead  of  overflowing  with 
the  gall  of  bitterness  against  those  who  depart  from  the 
undoubted  essentials  of  Christianity,  you  will  endeavor 
their  recovery  by  calmly  producing  the  strongest  argu¬ 
ments  in  demonstration  of  the  truth ;  and  by  cordially 
praying  that  they  may  have  understanding  and  a  sincere 
heart  to  perceive  their  force.  You  will  abhor  the  thought 
of  covering  your  private  resentment  with  the  venerable 
name  of  zeal  for  God’s  glory  and  for  the  good  of  man. 
You  will  not  think  that  contempt  of  your  erring  brother, 
or  passion  against  him,  can  be  justified  by  any  means, 
or  on  any  account  whatsoever.  Therefore,  though  it  is 
so  common  for  those  who  call  themselves  Christians,  to 
vent  their  rage  against  the  adversaries  of  our  most  holy 
faith,  you  "  in  meekness  will  instruct  those  that  oppose 
themselves  ;  if  God  peradventure  will  give  them  repent- 
anceto  the  acknowledgment  of  the  truth.”  2  Tim.  2  :  25. 

Thus  extensive  is  the  grace  of  meekness,  that  emi¬ 
nent  branch  of  the  Christian  temper,  as  it  respects  our 
fellow-men. 

Now  the  peculiar  motives  which  will  excite  and  sup¬ 
port  its  influence  in  your  heart,  if  you  are  a  Christian, 
are  such  as  the  philosophers  of  old,  and  their  unbeliev¬ 
ing  successors  at  this  day  know  nothing  of ;  though  in 
both  there  has  often  been  a  resemblance  of  this  amiable 
temper.  You  will  not  be  meek  from  a  love  of  ease, 
which  leads  some  to  submit  to  the  ill  humors  of  others, 
rather  than  bear  the  trouble  of  contention,  and  by  which 
they  gain  the  credit  of  sweetness  of  temper ;  nor  from 
a  proud  disdain  of  appearing  to  be  hurt  by  malice  or 
perverseness,  which  would  imply  a  feebleness  and  weak¬ 
ness  in  your  own  mind ;  but  you  will  be  meek  because 
this  is  the  will  of  God  concerning  you.  He  commands 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


253 


you  to  "  be  no  brawlers,  but  gentle,  showing  all  meek¬ 
ness  unto  all  men,”  Tit.  3  :  2 ;  to  put  off  anger,  wrath, 
hatred,  variance,  emulation,  and  strife ;  and  to  put  on 
kindness,  meekness,  long-suffering.”  Your  Savior,  the 
foundation  of  all  your  hope  and  access  to  God  Vitli  con¬ 
fidence,  denounces  a  severe  threatening  against  every 
sally  of  unbridled  passion  ;  "  Whosoever,”  says  he,  "  is 
angry  with  his  brother  without  a  cause,”  that  is,  through 
a  selfish  passionate  spirit,  "  shall  be  in  danger  of  the 
judgment,”  shall  fall  under  the  anger  of  God  :  "  and 
whosoever  shall  say  to  him,  Raca,” — or  thou  worthless 
fellow, — suffering  himself  to  mock  and  deride  others, 
shall  be  still  more  severely  punished,  "  shall  be  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  the  council  ;  but  whosoever  shall  say,  Thou  fool,” 
that  is,  shall  allow  himself  to  be  so  far  transported  by 
his  passion  as  to  revile  another,  to  represent  him  not 
only  as  fit  to  be  despised,  but  even  to  be  abhorred,  he 
shall  meet  with  still  sorer  punishment,  "  he  shall  be  in 
danger  of  hell-fire.”  So  awful  are  the  denunciations  by 
which  you,  0  Christian,  are  warned  to  watch  against 
every  violation  of  meekness,  and  to  regard  anger  as  one 
of  the  worst  enemies  to  your  soul.  Besides  the  express 
and  repeated  command  of  God,  proving  the  absolute  ne¬ 
cessity  of  meekness,  such  honor  is  put  upon  this  grace 
as  must  make  it  the  ambition  of  every  Christian  to  pos¬ 
sess  it :  "  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the 
mighty  ;  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit,  than  he  that  taketh 
a  city.”  Prov.  16  :  32.  The  meek  are  pronounced  bless¬ 
ed,  and  the  inheritance  of  the  good  land,  wherein  dwell- 
eth  righteousness,  is  promised  to  them.  Matt.  5  :  5. 
Meekness  is  distinguished  as  the  principal  "  ornament” 
of  a  Christian,  and  as  being  "  of  great  price  ”  in  the 
sight  of  God.  1  Pet.  3  :  4. 

Added  to  all  these  motives,  there  is  one  still  more 
powerful, —  the  astonishing  meekness  of  that  adorable  per- 
8on}  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  salvation.  The  in- 


254 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


spired  writers  always  remind  us  of  this  great  pattern, 
and  fix  our  attention  on  the  cross  of  Christ,  when  they 
would  make  us  sensible  of  the  hatefulness  of  an  impe 
tuous,  quarrelsome  or  angry  temper.  "  Let  all  bitterness, 
and  wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  evil-speaking,  b* 
put  away  from  you,  with  all  malice  ;  and  be  ye  kino 
one  to  another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another 
even  as  God  for  Christ’s  sake  hath  forgiven  you.*’ 
"  Christ  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that  w  e 
should  follow  his  steps ;  who  did  no  sin,  neither  was 
guile  found  in  his  mouth ;  who,  when  he  was  reviled, 
reviled  not  again :  when  he  suffered,  he  threatened  not : 
who  his  own  self  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on 
the  tree,”  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God.  He,  your 
Lord  and  Master,  was  oppressed  and  afflicted,  yet  he 
opened  not  his  mouth.  I  must  go,  therefore,  you  will 
say,  and  implore  grace  from  God  to  imitate  this  perfect 
pattern ;  since  it  is  written,  "  He  that  saith,  he  abideth 
in  him,”  that  is  in  Christ,  "  ought  himself  also  so  to 
walk  even  as  he  walked.”  1  John,  2  :  6. 

A  still  more  effectual  means  than  any  yet  named, 
which  disposes  every  real  Christian  to  the  exercise  of 
meekness,  is  what  has  passed  in  his  own  heart.  Self- 
abasement  and  shame  for  sin  are  inseparable  from  re¬ 
pentance  and  true  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  A  kind  of 
knowledge  this,  which  greatly  subdues  haughtiness  of 
spirit ;  and  by  so  doing  makes  it  easy  to  pass  by  those 
provocations  which  set  the  proud  and  self-admiring  in 
a  flame.  Just  as  persons  who  have  committed  some 
enormous  crime,  when  truly  penitent,  find  no  resent¬ 
ment  of  passion,  whatever  is  said  of  them,  or  whatever 
is  done  to  them :  so  to  your  heart,  when  humbled  for 
your  sin  before  God,  this  thought  will  readily  occur, 
under  every  provocation  to  wrath,  "  Of  far  worse  treat¬ 
ment  am  I  deserving,  and  of  a  much  severer  trial  of  my 
patience.” 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


255 


This  powerful  inducement  to  suppress  all  sinful  anger, 
and  prevent  every  violation  of  the  law  of  meekness,  St. 
Paul  urges  in  its  full  force.  He  founds  his  exhortation 
solely  on  the  sinful  state  in  which  we  are  all  by  nature 
involved,  as  every  true  believer  in  Christ  most  clearly 
knows.  "  Put  them  in  mind,”  says  he,  "  to  be  gentle, 
showing  all  meekness  unto  all  men.  For  we  ourselves 
also  were  sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  ser¬ 
ving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and 
envy,  hateful  and  hating  one  another.”  Titus,  3  :  2,  3. 

As  you  make  progress  in  the  knowledge  and  practice 
of  true  religion,  fresh  evidences  of  your  own  corrup¬ 
tion  will  discover  themselves,  and  prove  so  many  re¬ 
peated  admonitions  to  pray  for  and  exercise  meekness ; 
knowing  with  what  rich  forbearance  God  endures  the 
multitude  of  your  own  failings.  For  though  the  domi¬ 
nion  of  sin  be  destroyed,  the  struggle  between  the  flesh 
and  the  spirit  still  remains,  and  consequently  sufficient 
cause  for  humbling  yourself,  till  mortality  is  swallowed 
up  of  life. 


256 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

CMStlSTMJV  GUACES  MS  JPG - 

SI  TS OJYS, — con  tinned f, 

9 

*  r  .  *  * 

CANDOR — FORGIVENESS  OF  ENEMIES - HUMILITY. 

In  delineating  the  character  of  a  real  Christian,  as  it 
respects  the  tempers  he  exercises  towards  his  fellow- 
creatures,  we  have  already  described  him  as  sincere  and 
just  in  all  his  dealings,  as  merciful  and  kind  towards  all 
men,  meek  and  patient  under  all  provocations.  But,  be¬ 
sides  these,  other  graces  are  still  requisite  to  complete 
his  character.  These  I  proceed  to  enumerate. 

5.  Candor  is  an  essential  branch  of  the  Christian  tem¬ 
per:  it  discovers  itself  by  the  charitable  judgment  which 
it  passes  on  the  actions,  the  characters,  and  the  inten¬ 
tions  of  our  fellow-creatures. 

By  these  actions  you  are  not  to  understand  such  as 
are  plainly  condemned  in  the  word  of  God,  and  declared 
positively  to  expose  men  to  the  wrath  of  God :  because 
so  far  is  it  from  any  act  of  charity  to  strengthen  the 
drunkard  or  the  fornicator,  the  fraudulent  or  liar,  the 
covetous,  the  profane, *0r  the  careless,  by  flattering  them, 
or  leaving  them  to  flatter  themselves  that  they  shall  es¬ 
cape  for  their  wickedness,  unless  they  become  new 
creatures;  that  it  is  joining  with  their  invisible  adver¬ 
sary  the  devil,  and  giving  him  your  aid,  to  delude  their 
souls  till  they  are  lost  for  ever.  But  besides  the  multi¬ 
tude  of  evil  actions  and  tempers,  distinguished  in  Scrip¬ 
ture  by  the  name  of  sins,  which  "  go  before  men  to 
judgment there  is  a  considerable  part  of  human 
conduct  of  a  doubtful  aspect.  Now  here  is  the  pecu¬ 
liar  province  for  the  exercise  of  charitable  judgment : 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


257 


and  in  this  place,  O  Christian,  you  will  esteem  it  your 
bounden  duty,  and  make  it  your  practice.  You  will 
watch  over  your  tongue,  to  restrain  it  from  condemn¬ 
ing  men  without  proofs,  or  merely  upon  the  slight  evi¬ 
dence  of  a  single  report.  You  will  be  careful  to  inform 
yourself  of  the  particular  circumstances  connected  with 
the  action  in  question  :  and  when  no  sufficient  light  ap¬ 
pears  to  justify  a  peremptory  verdict,  you  will  conclude 
as  candor  and  love  direct.  Thus,  in  the  numberless  jars 
between  near  relations,  and  in  contests  about  matters 
of  property,  it  is  common  to  hear  violent  accusations, 
which  have  no  foundation,  and  plausible  misrepresenta¬ 
tions  of  each  other  by  both  the  parties  concerned;  in  the 
midst  of  which  very  few  can  know  any  thing  with  cer¬ 
tainty,  and  therefore  all  are  bound  to  suspend  their  judg¬ 
ment,  and  receive  no  ill  impression  from  common  fame. 

With  regard  also  to  the  characters  of  men,  you  will  be 
charitable  in  your  judgment.  The  commission  of  a  sin¬ 
gle  crime  contrary  to  the  tenor  of  the  delinquent’s  life, 
you  will  never  cruelly  construe  into  an  impeachhient  of 
his  sincerity.  You  will  not  brand  a  man  as  an  incorrigi¬ 
ble  villain  ever  after,  because  he  was  once  guilty  of  a 
dishonest  action  towards  yourself ;  nor  proclaim  another 
to  be  a  mere  hypocrite  in  religion,  because  you  have 
once  detected  him  in  some  wicked  practice.  You  will 
not  immediately,  as  the  manner  of  a  vindictive  man  is, 
cry  out,  that  all  pretence  of  conscience  in  such  is  only 
cant ;  and  profession  of  the  fear  of  God  only  a  snare  to 
entrap  the  simple,  or  a  cloak  to  cover  iniquity.  On  the 
contrary,  you  will  remember  how  often  the  violence  of 
temptation,  suited  to  your  constitutional  sin,  has  been 
too  mighty  for  you,  or  brought  you  to  the  very  point  of 
yielding.  You  will  call  to  mind,  that  the  best  of  men, 
even  those  whom  God  himself  has  characterized  as  his 
faithful  followers,  did  not  always  persevere  in  the  path 
of  duty  without  a  blemish  or  a  fall ;  they  were  overtak- 


•258 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


en  with  faults,  though  they  soon  abhorred  themselves 
for  them,  and  vanquished  in  future  the  assaults  of  sin. 
You  will  acknowledge  it  very  possible  for  such  frail 
creatures  as  men  are,  in  their  best  state,  to  make  a  slip 
contrary  to  habitual  practice  and  acknowledged  duty 

Fair  evidences,  therefore,  of  repentance,  will  demand, 
in  your  opinion,  a  favorable  judgment  of  those  who  have 
dishonored  their  Christian  profession  ;  and  lead  you  to 
conclude,  that  inward  shame  and  secret  sorrow  for  their 
fall  has  exceeded  all  the  open  reproach  which,  as  back¬ 
sliders,  they  have  brought  upon  themselves  and  religion. 

With  regard  to  the  intentions  of  men,  as  in  most  cases 
they  can  with  certainty  be  known  to  God  only,  you  will 
esteem  it  your  bounden  duty  to  impute  no  evil,  where  it 
is  not  manifest,  nor  dare  to  allow  the  injurious  surmise 
that  such  and  such  things  spring  from  a  bad  design, 
when  you  have  no  proof  to  substantiate  the  charge. 

In  these,  and  in  many  other  similar  points,  you  will 
exercise  a  charitable  judgment,  because  the  command 
of  your  God  and  Savior  is  most  plain  that  you  should. 
”  Judge  not,”  (that  is,  in  cases  where  you  cannot  have 
a  competent  knowledge,  and  where  God’s  law  is  silent,) 
”  that  ye  be  not  judged.  For  with  what  judgment  ye 
judge,  ye  shall  be  judged  :  and  with  what  measure  ye 
mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again.”  Matt.  7  :  1,  2. 

Your  obedience  to  this  command  will  appear  most 
reasonable,  and  be  made  easy  by  a  witness  in  your  own 
heart.  For  you  are  conscious  how  often  you  have  act¬ 
ed  uprightly,  and  yet  have  been  charged  with  evil  in¬ 
tentions.  Your  own  conduct  has  often  been  cruelly 
misconstrued,  often  condemned,  as  being  of  quite  an 
other  complexion  than  what  you  knew  it  to  have  been 
You  remember  also  how  often  you  have  done  what  you 
ought  not, — what  you  promised  and  vowed  you  would 
not :  that  many  prayers,  much  watchfulness  and  obsti¬ 
nate  conflicts  were  scarcely  sufficient  to  gain  you  an 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


259 


established  victory  over  your  own  wickedness.  You 
know  that  when  you  fell,  the  fall  was  instantly  lament¬ 
ed  ;  and  though  in  fact  wounded  grievously,  you  rose 
to  renew  the  combat,  earnestly  striving  to  obtain  de¬ 
liverance  from  the  power  of  your  adversary.  There¬ 
fore,  though  you  may  be  now  a  conqueror  in  the  fight, 
you  will  feel  for  others  in  the  situation  in  which  you 
were  once  yourself :  assured  that  men  may  really  de¬ 
sign  nothing  but  the  glory  of  God,  and  good-will  to 
their  fellow-creatures,  though  they  may  sometimes  be 
betrayed  into  a  breach  of  duty. 

Such  sentiments  deeply  impressed  on  your  own  heart, 
will  form  in  you  a  habit  of  judging  of  your  fellow-crea¬ 
tures  with  tenderness  and  mercy. 

6.  It  is  a  very  distinguishing  part  of  the  temper  of  a 
real  Christian,  to  forgive  and  love  his  enemies.  There¬ 
fore,  if  you  are  entitled  to  the  name  you  bear,  your  be¬ 
havior  under  provocations  will  be  quite  opposite  to  the 
custom  of  the  world  and  the  impulse  of  corrupt  nature. 
Is  your  character  basely  vilified  1  you  will  refute  the 
malicious  slander,  should  it  need  an  answer,  without 
retaliating  abuse  for  abuse,  or  blackening  your  de- 
famers.  Should  your  foes  proceed  from  ill  language  to 
ill  usage,  you  will  still  forgive,  and  prove  the  reality  of 
your  good-will  towards  them,  by  pitying  them  in  their 
distress,  by  even  serving  them  as  occasion  offers.  And 
though  in  some  cases  the  very  grievous  wrongs  with 
which  you  may  be  oppressed,  may  justify  and  demand 
legal  redress,  your  heart  will  burn  with  no  animosity 
against  your  foes,  whose  violence  has  forced  you  to 
this  method  of  self-defence.  And  to  advance  still  one 
step  higher,  were  the  case  ever  to  happen  that  you 
should  be  left  in  the  power  of  bloody  persecutors  who 
are  determined,  unless  you  will  renounce  the  Christian 
faith,  to  take  away  your  life  ;  yet,  even  here,  so  sublime 
is  the  holiness  flowing  from  Christian  principles,  you 


260 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


would  feel  a  benevolent  compassion  towards  your  per¬ 
secutors.  You  would  pray  for  them  to  that  God,  before 
whom  it  is  equally  dangerous  and  impious  to  dissemble. 
You  would  entreat  him  to  give  them  repentance  to  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  truth,  that  their  sin  may  be  par 
dpned,  and  the  joy  of  heaven  finally  become  their  portion 

Thus  complete  is  the  nature,  and  thus  wide  the  ex 
tent  of  the  forgiveness  and  love  which  you  will  exer 
cise,  O  Christian,  towards  your  enemies. 

The  arguments  which  convince  you  of  the  reason 
ableness  and  absolute  necessity  of  this  temper,  are,  as 
they  need  to  be,  remarkably  strong  and  affecting.  Your 
knowledge  of  God  in  his  government  and  redemption 
of  the  world,  will  lead  you  utterly  to  condemn  and  to 
oppose  the  first  risings  of  malice,  or  of  hatred,  even 
against  your  bitterest  foes.  For  you  are  thoroughly 
sensible  what  manner  of  affronts  and  insults  the  great 
God  daily  receives.  You  consider  the  condition  of  the 
persons  who  offer  them,  and  the  obligations  they  are 
under  to  him.  You  remember  the  glory  of  the  Most 
High,  the  ample  means  he  has  in  his  power  instantly  to 
avenge  his  injured  name,  and  to  destroy  his  daring  ad¬ 
versaries  in  a  moment.  At  the  same  time  you  behold 
him  slow  to  anger,  full  of  long-suffering,  and  of  great 
mercy ;  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  waiting 
for  many  months,  nay,  many  years,  in  patient  compas¬ 
sion  towards  them  that  hate  him. 

This  adorable  temper  in  the  God  of  heaven,  so  con¬ 
spicuous  in  the  government  of  his  providence,  shines 
still  brighter  to  your  mind  in  the  plan  of  man's  redemp¬ 
tion.  By  serious  meditation  on  this  scheme,  you  will  be 
led,  0  Christian,  to  reason  thus  with  yourself ;  "  Had 
God  been  provoked  with  his  enemies,  as  I  am  so  impa¬ 
tiently  inclined  to  be  with  mine  ;  had  he  been  prone  to 
resentment,  or  wanting  in  the  riches  of  mercy,  what  had 
become  of  us  all  1  of  a  world  in  arms  against  him  1  Had 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


261 


God  loved  those  only  who  first  loved  him,  or  waited  to 
give  his  inestimable  blessing  till  we  sinners  had  made 
the  first  advance,  where  had  been  the  means  of  grace  1 
where  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation 'l  God,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  commendeth  his  love  to  us,  in  that  wher.  we  Were 
yet  enemies,  Christ  died  for  us.  How  inexcusable  then, 
how  desperately  wicked  must  it  be  in  me,  to  want  love 
for  a  fellow-servant,  though  a  fellow-sinner,  since  God 
has  had  so  much  compassion  on  us  all.” 

Farther,  The  force  of  this  argument  in  proof  of  the 
reasonableness  of  loving  your  enemies,  is  still  consider¬ 
ably  more  increased  by  your  own  experience  of  God’s 
grace  and  tender  mercy  to  yourself. 

You  remember  how  long  you  lived  in  forgetfulness 
and  in  horrid  contempt  of  God  ;  as  if  you  had  been  in¬ 
dependent  of  him,  or  he  unworthy  of  your  notice :  how 
long  you  were  seeking  your  happiness  in  the  pursuits  of 
vanity,  without  inquiring,  Where  is  God  my  Maker  ? 
You  know  he  suffered  you  to  survive  all  this  insolence 
of  affront  to  him.  In  the  midst  of  it,  his  mercy  was  not 
estranged  from  you;  he  still  protected,  still  provided 
for  you :  he  preserved  you  from  dying  in  a  reprobate 
condition.  At  length  he  crowned  his  goodness  towards 
you,  by  giving  you  grace  to  see  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  the 
efficacy  of  the  Savior,  and  by  forgiving  and  forgetting 
all  the  evil  you  had  done  against  him.  This  very  long, 
and  very  gracious  indulgence  of  your  heavenly  Father 
towards  you,  manifests  the  hideous  deformity  of  a  vin¬ 
dictive  spirit,  and  enables  you  to  see  how  monstrous  it 
must  be  in  you  to  listen  to  its  dictates ;  or  not  to  return 
love,  whatever  injuries  you  have  received,  when  the  God 
of  glory  both  has  dealt,  and  still  continues  to  deal  so 
graciously  with  you. 

Therefore,  though  some  violent  provocations  may 
suddenly  kindle  resentment,  and  prompt  you  to  cherish 
the  thought  of  returning  evil  for  evil,  soon  the  convic- 


262 


COMPLETE  DUTV  Oi'  MAN. 


tion  of  God’s  patience  and  love  towards  yourself,  will 
make  the  transient  intention  appear  full  of  injustice  and 
ingratitude  to  God,  and  totally  unbecoming  your  guilty 
state  before  him.  Thus  the  hell-engendered  spark  of  re* 
venge  will  quickly  expire,  and  love,  instead  of  resent 
ment,  reign  within. 

Besides  these  arguments,  the  full  credit  which  you, 
O  Christian!  give  to  every  Scripture  declaration,  will 
dispose  you  to  resist  every  rising  sentiment  of  ill-will 
against  your  enemies.  You  are  assured  by  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  Christ  himself,  that  no  one  who  harbors  the  least 
degree  of  malice  or  hatred  in  his  heart,  can  stand  within 
the  limits  of  mercy  till  that  detestable  spirit  is  subdued. 
So  highly  offensive  is  it  to  God,  whenever  found  in  such 
guilty,  sinful  creatures  as  we  are,  that  it  renders  us  in¬ 
capable  even  of  praying,  without  increasing  our  sin :  for 
the  tongue  which  holds  any  correspondence  with  a  heart 
envenomed  by  hatred,  does  but  call  for  a  curse,  when  it 
calls  upon  God  in  those  words  which  Christ  has  taught 
us,  "  Forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them  that 
trespass  against  us;”  the  man  who  does  not  forgive  his 
enemies,  calls  in  these  words  for  justice  on  himself  in¬ 
stead  of  compassion.  The  petition,  dreadfully  inverted, 
sounds  thus  in  the  ears  of  God,  "Forgive  not  me  my 
trespasses,  as  I  do  not  forgive  them  that  trespass  against 
me.”  And  if  any  man  persist  in  hatred  of  his  foes,  God 
will  answer  him  according  to  this  true  meaning  of  his 
prayer. 

In  such  a  forcible  manner  are  you  taught,  0  Christian, 
to  forgive  and  love  your  enemies.  And  whilst  these  con¬ 
siderations  prove  to  you  beyond  question  both  the  rea¬ 
sonableness  and  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  duty,  the 
grace  of  God  is  promised  to  your  prayer,  that  what  with 
man  is  impossible,  may,  through  the  Spirit’s  influence,  be 
accomplished  by  you.  For  though  injuries  so  affect,  so 
irritate  our  selfish  hearts,  that  it  seems  an  impracticable 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


263 


task  to  attempt  to  extinguish  animosity  towards  our 
foes,  yet  by  the  Holy  Ghost  there  is  given  to  every  true 
believer  in  Christ  "  a  spirit  of  love,  and  of  power,  and 
of  a  sound  mind  so  that,  through  Christ  strengthening 
him,  he  can  do  all  things.* 

7.  By  continuing  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  growing 
in  his  grace,  you  will  at  length  obtain  true  humility , 
preferring  every  one  before  yourself.  This  indeed  is 
the  crowning  attainment  of  a  real  Christian.  An  attain¬ 
ment  not  barely  surpassing  what  the  world  thinks  re¬ 
quisite  to  form  a  complete  character,  but  even  appear¬ 
ing  to  the  proud,  big  with  absurdity  and  contradiction. 
I  shall  show  therefore  in  what  sense,  and  on  what  ac¬ 
count,  you  will  prefer  every  one  before  yourself,  if  you 
are  advanced  in  Christian  holiness.  You  will  do  this, 
not  because  you  regard  yourself  as  living  in  the  com¬ 
mission  of  sin  as  much  as  others ;  for  irresistible  evi¬ 
dence  shows  you  the  contrary.  Neither  does  this  pre¬ 
ference  which  you  give  to  every  one  before  yourself, 
imply  any  denial  of  the  real  change  Avrought  in  your 
soul  by  the  grace  of  God :  much  less  does  it  suppose 
that  you  might  as  Avell  have  continued,  like  the  Avorld 
at  large,  in  servitude  to  sin.  Where  it  is  so  understood, 
I  should  allow  the  objections  made  against  this  part  of 
the  Christian  temper  by  men  of  superficial  virtue  and 
predominant  self-conceit.  Then  indeed  it  might  justly 
be  said,  "  Is  it  possible  to  be  so  blind  as  not  to  perceive 

*  What  gratitude  is  due  to  God  for  his  word  which  teaches,  and 
for  his  grace  Avhich  enables  all  who  receive  it  to  copy  his  example 
in  that  most  arduous  work  of  overcoming  evil  with  good  !  The 
highest  degree  of  forgiveness  at  which  Plato,  the  wise  and  renown¬ 
ed,  thought  it  possible  to  arrive,  was  to  efface  the  very  idea  of  his 
enemy  out  of  his  mind :  thus  taking,  by  such  annihilating  scorn,  a 
secret  but  a  proud  revenge.  How  nobly  superior  the  Christian  !  he 
shows  the  most  generous  compassion  to  his  bitterest  foes  :  their  in 
juries  he  forgets,  whilst  he  remembers  their  persons  with  good-will, 
and  is  glad  to  show  them  he  does  so,  when  occasion  offers. 


264 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


the  vast  difference  there  is  in  the  characters  of  men  1 
And  if  I  am  allowed  to  see  it  in  regard  to  others,  how 
can  it  be  wrong  to  acknowledge  as  much  with  regard 
to  myself  1  What  violence  should  I  offer  to  my  reason, 
to  attempt  to  persuade  myself  that  a  man  who  loves 
righteousness  and  hates  iniquity,  is  not  to  prefer  him¬ 
self  to  the  disobedient  and  the  lawless  1”  But  let  the 
case  be  properly  stated,  and  then  I  trust  there  will  ap¬ 
pear  very  sufficient  grounds  for  a  Christian  to  take  the 
lowest  place. 

It  is  certain  then,  if  you  are  much  advanced  in  the 
knowledge  and  practice  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  (which 
is  the  case  supposed)  that  you  are  sensible  of  much 
corruption  in  your  heart ;  for  to  imagine  otherwise,  is 
the  effect  of  pride  reigning  and  blinding  the  eyes  of  the 
mind.  It  is  certain  also,  that  you  are  conscious  of  many 
instances  of  unfaithfulness  to  the  grace  you  have  re¬ 
ceived  ;  that  you  have  many  known  omissions,  and  ma¬ 
ny  negligences  in  the  service  of  God,  to  bewail  before 
him ",  and  much  defectiveness  in  those  holy  tempers 
which  ought  to  have  been  improved  to  a  much  higher 
degree  than  you  find  they  are  in  your  own  soul.  At  the 
same  time  you  clearly  perceive  what  excellent  advan¬ 
tages  and  mercies  you  have  enjoyed,  demanding  suit¬ 
able  returns  of  faith,  love  and  obedience.  You  remem¬ 
ber  the  alarming  calls,  the  affectionate  warnings,  which 
have  made  strong  impressions  on  your  heart  j  the  an¬ 
swers  which  have  been  given  to  your  prayers ;  the 
troubles,  the  dangers,  the  enemies  from  which  you  have 
been  delivered ;  together  with  the  peace,  the  comfort 
and  joy  you  have  so  often  experienced  in  communion 
with  your  God.  In  a  word,  you  are  fully  convinced 
that  much,  very  much  indeed,  has  been  done  for  you, 
sufficient  to  have  made  you  a  shining  pattern  of  holi¬ 
ness.  In  this  view,  therefore,  every  thing  betraying  in 
sensibility  to  God  ;  every  secret  sinful  disorder  of  your 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


265 


affections, — which,  with  many  who  account  themselves 
religious,  passes  for  nothing, — will  necessarily  wear 
quite  a  different  aspect  in  your  eye ;  it  will  afflict  and 
abase  you. 

Things  being  thus  circumstanced  with  the  humble 
and  advanced  Christian,  I  would  now  ask,  where  is  the 
palpable  absurdity,  where  the  fancied  impossibility,  that 
each  person  of  this  character  should  judge  himself,  all 
things  considered,  inferior  to  other  men]  or  that  he 
should  believe  there  is  no  other  person  who,  had  he 
been  blessed  with  equal  helps  and  advantages,  would 
not  have  so  adorned  his  Christian  profession  as  to  sur¬ 
pass  his  attainments  ] 

The  whole  difficulty  of  conceiving  that  this  temper 
can  actually  subsist  in  the  heart,  arises  from  the  self- 
conceit  so  general  and  abounding,  which  is  puffed  up 
with  the  least  shadow  of  supposed  pre-eminence  above 
others.  This  hateful  disposition  it  is,  which  makes  men 
so  apt  to  prefer  themselves  to  others  on  account  of  their 
own  goodness,  without  considering  how  much  more  fa¬ 
vored  they  have  been,  and  without  comparing  the  pro¬ 
gress  they  have  made  with  the  means  put  into  their  hands. 

The  advanced  Christian  is  of  a  more  humble  and  rea¬ 
sonable  mind :  he  blushes  at  his  manifold  and  great  de¬ 
fects  ;  he  is  ashamed  for  his  faults,  in  the  remembrance 
of  the  rich  grace  of  God  bestowed  upon  him,  and  the 
consideration  of  the  excellency  of  his  majesty.  He  is 
too  candid  to  think  that  others  have  been  guilty  in  the 
same  degree ;  the  transition  then  is  easy  to  prefer  every 
one  before  himself. 

Besides  this  inward  testimony,  which  will  lead  you, 
if  you  are  much  advanced  in  the  religion  of  Jesus,  to 
this  humble  estimation  of  yourself,  the  command  is  po¬ 
sitive  ;  "In  lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  other  bet¬ 
ter  than  themselves.”  Phil.  2 :  3.  A  command  express¬ 
ly  enjoined,  as  the  only  effectual  preventive  of  "  vain 

1 9 

Duty  of  Man.  X/° 


266 


COMfLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


glory/’  And  that  this  admonition  is  not  to  be  interpreted 
as  relating  to  those  only  who  walk  worthy  of  their  Chris¬ 
tian  profession,  appears  evidently  from  a  parable  which 
our  Savior  spoke  on  purpose  to  expose  the  sin  of  sell- 
preference  He  sets  before  our  eyes  a  Pharisee  and  a 
Publican.  The  former  is  a  man  honest,  strictly  consci¬ 
entious,  and  very  devout.  These  virtues  he  acknow¬ 
ledges  to  be  the  free  gifts  of  God;  and  he  only  prefers 
himself  on  their  account  to  the  wicked  and  abandoned. 
One  of  them  he  mentions  in  his  prayer,  without  any 
personal  aversion,  merely  because  he  saw  him  in  the 
temple,  and  thanks  his  God  that  he  was  not  so  wicked 
and  base  as  this  Publican.  You  know  the  judgment  of 
God  in  this  case.  The  Pharisee  was  left  in  his  sins, 
highly  offensive  in  the  eyes  of  his  Maker,  because  he 
exalted  himself  above  the  Publican Because,”  says 
our  Lord,  "he  trusted  in  himself  that  he  was  righteous, 
and  despised  others,”  that  is,  in  comparison  of  himself. 

A  fuller  proof  you  cannot  desire  of  the  necessity  of 
entertaining  the  lowest  esteem  of  yourself.  This  exam¬ 
ple  therefore  will  lead  you,  O  Christian,  to  understand, 
that  all  who  prefer  themselves  to  others,  adopt  in  fact 
the  sentiments  of  the  Pharisee,  tread  in  his  steps,  and 
must  have  done  just  as  he  did,  had  the  same  thing  oc¬ 
curred  to  them.  It  will  teach  you,  that  as  there  were 
none  in  common  repute  more  wicked  than  the  Publi¬ 
cans,  so  there  are  none  so  wicked  as  to  justify  your 
placing  yourself  above  them.  Hence  you  will  learn  to 
be  constantly  on  your  guard  against  self-complacency, 
as  a  dangerous  though  subtle  enemy  to  your  soul.  You 
will  repel  its  vile  insinuations,  to  which  you  will  find 
yourself  exposed,  whenever  you  hear  of  the  faults  or  see 
the  wickedness  of  others.  You  will  be  jealous  lest  pride 
should  grow  out  of  the  consciousness  of  what  God  has 
done  for  you ;  and  be  afraid  of  nothing  more  than  the 
vanity  of  your  own  mind  :  remember  that  Truth  itseP 


DISPOSITIONS  TOWARDS  MEN. 


267 


has  thrice  proclaimed,  "  He  that  exalteth  himself  shall 
be  abased,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted.” 

From  this  true  representation  of  the  tempers  of  a 
Christian  towards  his  fellow-creatures,  it  is  evident  that 
he  must  prove  an  inestimable  blessing  to  all  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  him.  For  what  a  delightful  union  is  found  in 
his  heart,  of  useful  and  excellent  qualities!  Who  would 
not  rejoice  to  have  that  man  for  his  superior  or  relation, 
his  neighbor  or  acquaintance,  in  whom  sincerity  and 
justice,  mercy  and  meekness,  candor  and  universal  be¬ 
nevolence,  shine  with  continued  lustre  1  Who  must  not 
admire  a  man  habitually  exercising  all  these  virtues,  yet 
taking  himself  the  lowest  place ;  not  soothing  the  vanity 
of  his  mind  by  the  applause  he  receives,  or  by  any  com¬ 
parison  of  himself  with  others;  but  doing  this  one  thing, 
pressing  forward,  ashamed  of  his  small  progress.  Such 
is  not  the  idle  picture  of  what  a  Christian  should  be,  but 
the  practice  of  thousands  who  are  living  by  faith  in  the 
Son  of  God,  as  their  atoning  sacrifice  and  the  Lord  their 
righteousness.  In  fact,  every  one  who  has  a  Scripture 
title  to  the  character  of  a  Christian,  will  thus  walk  in 
this  world,  and  be  thus  zealous  of  good  works. 


268 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

11121,'ITIVE  DUTIES. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  IN  A  MARRIED  STATE 

In  the  preceding  chapters  we  took  a  view  of  the  real 
Christian  exercising  sincerity,  justice  and  mercy*  meek¬ 
ness,  candor,  love  and  humility  towards  all  his  fellow- 
creatures.  Vv^e  now  come  to  consider  him  discharging 
those  peculiar  duties  which  are  incumbent  upon  him  in 
the  married  state. 

The  mutual  duties  of  Christian  husbands  and  wives  are 
fidelity  and  love  ;  the  separate  duties,  support  and 
government,  on  the  husband’s  part ;  on  the  wife’s,  as¬ 
sistance  and  obedience. 

Fidelity  to  the  marriage-bed  is  equally  enjoined  by 
the  matrimonial  covenant,  on  both  parties;  because  in 
virtue  of  this  union  they  become  each  other’s  property. 
So  that  it  is  not  possible  for  either  to  violate  the  nuptial 
vow  without  a  crime  punishable  in  every  well-ordered 
society  ;  without  disannulling  the  covenant  of  marriage  ; 
without  justifying  a  divorce  ;  without  incurring  the  wrath 
of  the  righteous  God,  who  hath  said,  "  Whoremongers 
and  adulterers  he  will  judge.” 

In  the  eyes  of  all,  therefore,  who  form  their  sentiments 
by  the  Scriptures  of  God,  adultery  is  abhorred  as  the 
blackest  villany.  And  so  far  must  Christian  husbands 
and  wives  be  from  injuring  each  other  by  violating  the 
marriage-bed,  that  they  must  be  free  from  every  thing 
in  their  air,  dress  or  discourse,  which  would  encourage 
wanton  desires.  Whatever  has  this  tendency,  however 
polite  and  fashionable,  they  must  shun  as  a  hateful  vio¬ 
lation  of  the  spirit  of  the  marriage-contract.  In  their 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


269 


judgment,  it  must  be  no  sufficient  observation  of  con¬ 
jugal  fidelity,  barely  to  be  innocent  of  adulterous  com¬ 
merce  j  they  must  maintain  a  purity  of  heart  undefiled 
by  any  unhallowed  desire,  or  any  lascivious  jesting, 
which  discovers  at  least  an  appearance  of  it.  Nothing 
less  than  this  is  necessary,  on  the  man’s  part,  to  keep  his 
marriage  vow  inviolate,  and  on  the  woman’s  "to  show 
a  chaste  conversation.”  A  duty  equally  incumbent  on 
both:  and  for  either  to  transgress  here,  is  audaciously 
to  rebel  against  the  plain  command  of  the  Lord  God  Al¬ 
mighty,  against  his  benevolent  and  everlasting  ordinance. 

To  fidelity  must  be  added  mutual  tender  love .  F or  love 
is  the  life  of  marriage  ;  without  which  it  differs  as  much 
from  the  happy  society  the  gracious  God  intended  to 
establish  by  it,  as  a  state  of  servitude  from  one  of  free¬ 
dom.  When  this  union  was  first  made  in  Paradise,  it 
was  immediately  declared,  that  the  bonds  of  marriage 
should  prove  stronger  than  the  bonds  of  nature  ;  so  that 
a  man  should  "  forsake  even  his  father  and  mother,” 
from  whom  he  instrumentally  derived  his  being,  "  and 
cleave  to  his  wife.” 

From  hence  it  follows,  that  husbands  and  wives, 
though  irreproachable,  even  in  their  own  consciences, 
in  point  of  conjugal  fidelity,  are  still  greatly  guilty  if 
they  live  in  indifference,  or  slight  regard  to  each  other. 
It  is  true,  a  failure  in  point  of  love  does  not,  as  adultery, 
break  the  marriage-bond ;  but  then  it  defeats  one  prin 
cipal  purpose  of  its  institution.  For  it  was  designed  to 
unite  the  hearts  of  the  married  pair  as  well  as  their 
hands  ;  and  to  produce  the  delicious  fruit  of  the  most 
perfect  friendship,  from  the  pleasing  combination  of  two 
persons,  whose  interests  were  by  this  means  made  inva* 
riably  the  same.  But,  instead  of  these  advantages,  want 
of  love  in  either  of  the  parties  will  pervert  the  state  of 
marriage  into  the  most  grievous  infelicity  and  burden 
of  life. 


270 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


For  this  reason  great  stress  is  laid  in  God’s  holy  word 
on  this  matter.  Husbands  and  wives  are  not  only  com¬ 
manded  to  preserve  the  bed  undefiled,  but  to  maintain 
also  a  most  affectionate  regard  for  each  other.  The 
precept  indeed  is  immediately  addressed  to  husbai  ds, 
but  the  force  of  it  must  equally  reach  both  parties  en 
gaged  in  the  nuptial  union  ;  "  So  ought  men  to  love  their 
wives,  as  their  own  bodies.  He  that  loveth  his  wife, 
loveth  himself.  For  no  man  ever  yet  hated  his  own  flesh  ; 
but  nourisheth  and  cherisheth  it,  even  as  the  Lord  the 
church.”  Ephes.  5  :  28,  29.  The  quick  feeling  which 
every  man  has  of  the  least  injury  done  to  his  own  body, 
the  invincible  aversion  to  every  thing  painful  to  it,  the 
incessant  desire  of  possessing  it  in  health  and  comfort, 
form  the  image  here  used  to  represent  the  strength,  the 
delicacy,  and  the  perpetuity  of  conjugal  affection.  And 
as  our  bodies  do  not  partake  less  of  our  care  and  love, 
on  account  of  their  weakness,  deformity,  or  disease  ;  or 
because  they  prove  much  more  burdensome  to  us  than 
others  of  a  healthier  habit  find  theirs  to  be  ;  so  no  disa¬ 
greeable  qualities,  no  perverse  humors  on  either  side, 
can  justify  the  other  party  in  withholding  the  tribute  of 
love.  These  faults  indeed  will  make  it  more  difficult  to 
deport  ourselves  with  proper  tenderness  and  affection  ; 
but,  though  severe  trials  of  our  faith  and  patience,  they 
by  no  means  vacate  the  obligation  of  the  married  state. 

This  truth  is  imperatively  urged  upon  the  husband  in 
the  conclusion  of  the  precept,  by  directing  him  to  copy 
the  tender  love  of  the  Savior  toAvards  his  church,  in  his 
own  behavior  to  his  wife.  As  if  it  had  been  said,  "  You 
yourself  abundantly  experience  the  care  *of  the  Lord 
.Tesus  Christ  over  you,  and  observe  it  exercised  over 
your  felloAv-christians  ;  you  see  how  he  bears  Avith  your 
negligences  and  your  infirmities, — Avith  many  things 
blameable  and  exceedingly  distasteful  to  him :  yet  he 
groAvs  not  cold  to  your  Avelfare,  nor  rejects  you  from 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


271 


among  his  children.  Show  you  therefore  the  same  ten¬ 
derness  one  towards  another,  as  the  whole  church  ex¬ 
periences  from  its  head  ;  and  never  think  you  are  either 
of  you  at  liberty  to  yield  to  moroseness,  or  to  be  void 
of  love.” 

Further;  Christian  husbands  and  wives  must  not  only 
preserve  inviolate  their  mutual  engagement  of  fidelity 
and  love,  but  their  conjugal  affection  must  be  spiritual 
also,  both  in  its  foundation  and  in  its  exercise.  It  must 
not  be  built  only  on  beauty ;  for  this  is  one  of  the  most 
fleeting  things  in  nature,  incapable,  even  while  it  lasts, 
of  maintaining  its  enchanting  power.  Hence  those 
who  come  together  with  rapture,  enamored  with  each 
other’s  form,  often  grow  cold,  and  soon  become  dis¬ 
tasteful  to  one  another.  At  least  there  can  be  no  se¬ 
curity  that  this  will  not  sooner  or  later  prove  the  me¬ 
lancholy  event,  when  the  foundation  of  love  is  so  super¬ 
ficial,  so  sensual. 

But  suppose  that  even  good  sense,  good  manners, 
and  the  appearance  of  a  temper  formed  for  the  dearest 
friendship,  engage  the  parties  in  a  married  union ;  even 
these  amiable  accomplishments,  without  Divine  grace, 
may  leave  them  in  great  danger  of  estrangement  from 
each  other ;  for  these  excellencies  do  not  subdue  either 
pride,  or  a  love  of  independence,  or  of  the  world.  Hus¬ 
bands  and  wives,  therefore,  who  have  no  better  founda¬ 
tion  of  their  love  than  these  charms,  with  which  they 
were  at  first  struck,  by  finding  more  restraint  in  the 
married  state  than  was  expected,  or  less  reality  of  ami¬ 
able  tempers,  often  in  fact  lose  the  love  they  once  had; 
especially  where  the  bitterness  of  misfortune  produces 
a  change  in  worldly  circumstances.  It  is  too  frequent 
to  see  the  well-bred,  the  sensible,  the  sweet-tempered 
husband  or  wife,  changed  by  the  loss  of  fortune  into  a 
fretful,  complaining,  irksome  companion.  Indeed,  the 
reason  why  this  is  not  the  case  much  oftener,  is  owing 


272 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF* MAN. 


to  the  providence  of  God,  which  keeps  men  out  of  those 
trials  they  are  not  strong  enough  to  bear. 

The  affection  of  Christian  husbands  and  wives  must 
be  established  upon  a  firmer  basis.  The  husband  must 
love  his  wife,  not  only  for  the  charms  of  her  person, 
the  sweetness  of  her  manners,  or  even  the  affection  he 
knows  she  bears  him ;  but,  above  all,  because  their  su¬ 
preme  Benefactor,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  hath 
said,  "  Husbands,  love  your  wives.”  The  Christian  wife 
must  also  love  her  husband  principally  in  obedience  to 
the  divine  will ;  not  on  account  of  the  superiority  of  his 
understanding,  the  applause  he  receives,  the  honor  of 
his  condition,  or  the  cordiality  of  his  affections  towards 
herself.  For  if  conjugal  love  be  not  secured  by  con¬ 
science  towards  God,  a  thousand  various  incidents  may 
make  that  union  miserable  which  was  happy  before. 
Some  sudden  storm  of  contention  may  arise,  violent 
enough  to  tear  up  natural  affection  by  the  roots.  Some 
bitter  expressions  may  escape  in  the  heat  of  passion, 
which  shall  eat  in  secret  as  a  canker,  and  destroy  all 
confidence  and  peace. 

Husbands  and  wives,  on  the  contrary,  in  whose  hearts 
the  love  and  authority  of  God  reign,  will  be  united  to¬ 
gether  by  the  common  object  of  their  highest  adoration 
and  all-sufficient  happiness ;  they  will  find  their  affec¬ 
tion,  like  the  law  of  their  God,  which  has  bound  them 
in  so  close  an  alliance,  constant  and  unalterable. 

And  as  the  ground  of  affection  between  Christian  hus¬ 
bands  and  wives  must  be  spiritual,  so  must  also  be  the 
various  exercises  of  it.  To  be  solicitous  to  procure  a 
comfortable  provision  for  your  wife  ;  to  abhor  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  her  in  distress  or  dependence, 
when  your  diligence  or  frugality  may  prevent  it,  is  what 
every  married  man  must  feel  who  is  not  sunk  beneath 
the  level  of  humanity.  On  the  other  hand,  for  the  wife 
to  express  her  love  to  her  husband  by  a  diligent  dis- 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


273 


creet  management  of  his  family,  by  cheerfully  joining  in 
every  thing  for  their  common  good,  and  by  studying  to 
make  his  life  and  home  agreeable  to  him,  is  an  expres¬ 
sion  of  affection  which  may  subsist  in  a  heart  altogether 
void  of  the  least  savor  of  Christianity.  Mutual  and  ear¬ 
nest  endeavors  to  be  pleasing  to  each  other,  are  often 
found  where  the  parties  can  see  and  hear  each  other  do 
a  thousand  things  in  open  defiance  of  God’s  authority : 
and  where,  instead  of  disapproving  silence,  and  meek 
remonstrance,  on  either  side,  they  remain  perfectly  well 
satisfied  with  each  other.  A  most  perfidious  kind  of 
love  is  this,  though  every  where  prevalent;  a  ruinous 
confederacy  against  the  cause  of  God  and  truth,  in 
which  they  encourage  and  strengthen  one  another,  and 
are  the  principal  instruments  of  each  other’s  everlasting 
condemnation. 

In  a  manner  totally  different  from  this  must  the  affec¬ 
tion  which  Christian  husbands  and  wives  bear  towards 
each  other,  show  itself.  They  must  be  most  concerned 
for  each  other’s  spiritual  welfare  :  they  must  be  kind 
and  tender-hearted  inspectors  of  each  other’s  conduct, 
meekly  pointing  out  errors,  and  with  love  admonishing 
for  faults  which  otherwise  would  have  escaped  notice. 
They  must  converse  together  of  the  power,  the  glory, 
the  mightiness  of  God’s  kingdom,  to  kindle  and  increase 
their  mutual  love  towards  him.  They  must  prompt  each 
other  to  holy  vigilance,  and  a  frequent  use  of  the  means 
of  grace :  they  must  associate  chiefly  with  that  sort  of 
company  which  tends  to  increase  carefulness  for  the 
soul,  faith  in  Jesus,  love  to  God,  and  all  the  graces  of  a 
Christian  life.  As  the  nuptial  union  gives  each  of  the  par¬ 
ties  much  influence,  which  may  prove  either  greatly  ser¬ 
viceable  or  terribly  hurtful  to  each  other’s  everlasting  in¬ 
terests,  they  must  look  upon  themselves  as  bound  in  con¬ 
science  to  use  it  all,  against  the  corruptions  of  the  heart, 
ao-ainst  pride  and  unbelief,  and  the  dominion  of  this  world. 

12* 


274 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


In  this  manner,  with  unspeakable  advantage  and  de¬ 
light,  Christian  husbands  and  wives  prove  the  spiritual 
nature  of  their  conjugal  affection;  and  then  they  will  be 
sure  to  find  it  equally  constant  in  youth  and  age,  sick¬ 
ness  and  health,  indigence  and  plenty,  lasting  as  theii 
abode  together  in  this  world,  and  redounding  to  their 
advancement  in  glory  in  that  which  is  eternal. 

Now  real  Christians  are  the  only  persons  capable  of 
dwelling  together  in  the  mutual  exercise  of  such  spirit¬ 
ual  and  permanent  affection ;  because  they  alone  confess 
their  own  innate  depravity  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  and,  un¬ 
der  this  humbling  sense  of  themselves,  use  the  means 
of  grace  aright.  They  alone  are  constant  and  persever¬ 
ing  in  prayer,  for  daily  remission  of  each  other’s  sins  ; 
for  the  Holy  Ghost  to  help  each  other’s  infirmities,  and 
to  grant  daily  supplies  of  strength  against  occurring 
temptations. 

These  humble  exercises  of  heart  prove  a  fruitful  source 
of  mutual  endearment.  They  deeply  impress  each  party 
with  a  sense  that  they  are  connected  by  ties  far  more 
noble  even  than  those  of  wedlock  :  that  they  are  children 
of  one  heavenly  Father,  servants  of  one  gracious  Lord, 
members  of  one  body,  and  heirs  of  one  glorious  kingdom. 
The  lively  sense  of  these  inestimable  privileges,  and  of 
a  common  interest  in  them,  has  power  to  unite,  even  at 
the  first  interview,  those  who  were  strangers  to  each 
other’s  persons.  Judge  then  how  much  more  effectual 
it  will  be,  when  increased  and  enlightened  by  daily 
prayer,  to  prevent  coldness  and  alienation  of  love  in 
those  who  are  already  united  in  fervent  affection  ! 

Again  ;  it  is  satiety  which  often  proves  the  bane  of 
conjugal  affection.  The  parties  by  long  acquaintance 
grow  insipid  to  each  other;  the  husband  grows  more 
reserved,  or  the  wife  loses  her  vivacity,  and  disregard 
ensues.  But  the  spiritual  course  in  which  believers  in 
Jesus  are  engaged,  prevents  this  satiety  :  the  infinite 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


275 


grandeur  of  the  objects  of  their  common  faith,  the  im¬ 
portance  of  their  nuptial  union  with  respect  to  those  ob¬ 
jects,  joined  to  a  mutual  desire  of  obtaining-  salvation, 
will  not  suffer  that  stagnation  to  take  place  in  the  mar¬ 
ried  state,  in  which  otherwise  it  is  frequently  found  to 
exist. 

Further:  Strife  and  contention  first  cool,  and  then  de¬ 
stroy  all  conjugal  affection.  But  the  devout  exercises 
in  which  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus  are  employed,  are 
of  great  efficacy  to  prevent  variance  \  or  when  in  any 
measure  it  happens,  to  heal  it.  For  when  they  appear 
before  God,  seeing  and  lamenting  their  own  defects, 
renouncing  themselves,  and  praying  that  their  repeated 
offences  may  not  be  imputed  to  them,  but  remitted  for 
the  sake  of  Jesus,  how  easy  will  they  find  it  to  confess 
their  own  proneness  to  passion,  to  make  merciful  allow¬ 
ances  for  each  other,  and  to  divide  the  blame,  instead  of 
imputing  it  wholly  to  one  side,  after  the  manner  of  pride 
and  self-sufficiency  !  By  these  concessions  the  conten¬ 
tion  will  cease,  and  the  difference  end  in  a  mutual  self- 
condemnation,  and  in  earnest  desire  of  greater  vigi¬ 
lance  against  any  disagreement  for  the  future. 

Though  the  height  and  ardor,  therefore,  of  natural 
love,  which  usually  precedes  the  nuptial  union,  and 
flourishes  after  it  for  a  time,  may  wear  off  and  subside  ; 
husbands  and  wives,  who  are  united  in  Christian  know¬ 
ledge  and  principles,  may  be  certain  that  a  solid  tender 
affection  will  ever  remain ;  an  affection  far  more  ex¬ 
alted,  sufficient  to  produce  all  the  happiness  the  mar¬ 
riage  state  was  intended  to  afford,  and  ripening  more 
and  more  as  they  grow  in  grace  and  every  divine 
attainment. 

Besides  mutual  fidelity  and  love,  which  are  branches 
of  duty  common  to  both  parties  in  the  married  state, 
there  are  some  also  peculiar  to  the  husband,  others  to 


276 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  wife ;  and  the  conscientious  discharge  of  these  re¬ 
spectively,  will  be  regarded  as  matter  of  strict  duty  by 
the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  province  of  the  husba?id  is  to  govern.  "  For  the 
husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife,  even  as  Christ  is  the 
head  of  the  church.”  Ephes.  5  :  23.  Therefore,  when 
the  husband  ceases  to  preside,  giving  up  without  just 
reason  the  authority  to  the  wife,  he  transgresses  no  less 
than  an  officer  in  an  army  would  do  who  surrenders  his 
command  to  the  importunity  and  ambition  of  an  in¬ 
ferior.  But  then,  as  the  head  has  no  interest  of  its  own, 
distinct  from  the  rest  of  the  body,  nor  any  advantage 
over  the  other  parts,  (unless  the  care  of  directing  and 
providing  for  them  be  deemed  an  advantage,)  so  the 
husband  has  no  interest  separate  from  his  wife,  nor  any 
private  advantage  flowing  from  his  superiority.  For  the 
authority  entrusted  with  the  husband  by  almighty  God 
is  designed  for  the  direction,  the  preservation  and  well¬ 
being  of  the  wife,  and  therefore  can  never  be  exercised 
by  any  husband,  who  fears  God,  but  with  this  view,  and 
to  this  excellent  end :  not  with  such  arbitrary  power  as 
men  rule  their  slaves,  but  with  such  a  benign  influence 
as  the  soul  exerts  over  the  body,  presiding  over  and 
governing  it ;  for  the  command,  in  the  Christian  rule 
of  conduct,  is,  that  "  husbands  dwell  with  their  wives 
according  to  knowledge,  giving  honor  unto  the  wife  as 
unto  the  weaker  vessel,”  1  Pet.  3:7;  that  is,  making 
the  superiority  which  God  hath  ordained  and  given 
them,  a  reason,  not  of  insolence  and  abuse,  but  of  in¬ 
dulgent  tenderness.  So  that  the  authority  lodged  in  the 
husband,  by  being  managed  with  propriety,  instead  of 
proving  a  galling  yoke  to  the  wife,  shall  be  found  a  real 
source  of  greater  ease  and  happiness  to  both. 

Another  peculiar  branch  of  the  husband’s  duty  to  his 
wife,  is  to  provide  her  with  all  things  necessary,  con¬ 
venient  and  comfortable,  according  to  his  own  rank 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


277 


and  condition  of  life.  He  must  express  an  alacrity  in 
letting  her  share  in  all  the  advantages  he  possesses, 
and  by  evident  marks  of  joy  convince  her,  that  he  takes 
pleasure  in  seeing  her  use,  within  the  limits  which  God 
has  prescribed,  all  the  worldly  accommodations  he  en¬ 
joys.  And  though  conjugal  affection  renders  any  com¬ 
mand  for  the  husband  to  communicate  in  his  joys  with 
his  wife  less  needful,  it  is  still  necessarily  included  in 
that  sacred  injunction,  "  So  ought  men  to  love  their 
wives,  as  their  own  bodies.  He  that  loveth  his  wife, 
loveth  himself,  for  no  man  ever  yet  hated  his  own  flesh ; 
but  nourisheth  and  cherisheth  it.”  Ephes.  5  :  28,  29. 

The  duty  of  the  Christian  wife ,  and  which  for  con¬ 
science  towards  God  she  will  observe,  is  to  give  aid 
and  comfort  to  her  husband  in  the  midst  of  his  business 
and  labor.  The  good  management  of  a  family  is  a  thing 
quite  different  from  making  a  provision  for  the  support 
of  it.  The  former,  in  general,  depends  chiefly  on  the 
wife  ;  the  latter  is  the  husband’s  province.  In  this  man¬ 
ner  the  labor  of  life  is  divided,  and  if  either  neglect 
their  respective  duty,  much  confusion  may  be  expected 
which  it  was  one  design  of  the  nuptial  union  to  prevent. 
A  Christian  wife,  therefore,  instead  of  affecting  to  bo 
above  the  care  of  a  family,  as  if  she  was  only  made  to 
dress,  visit,  and  be  admired,  like  a  statue  or  a  picture, 
for  her  shape  or  face,  will  "  look  well  to  the  ways  of 
her  household,  and  eat  not  the  bread  of  idleness.”  Thus 
will  she  give  her  husband  a  solid  testimony  of  her  re¬ 
gard  for  him,  by  being  careful  to  see  that  the  fruit  of  his 
labor,  or  his  income,  is  not  wasted  through  extrava¬ 
gance,  or  consumed  for  want  of  female  inspection  and 
order  at  home. 

A  second  instance  of  the  duty  peculiar  to  the  wife,  is 
obedience  to  the  will  of  her  husband.  When  Eve,  the 
mother  of  the  human  race,  sinned  through  a  vain  desire 
of  knowledge,  the  most  holy  God  was  pleased  to  punish 


278 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


that  vanity  with  a  disappointment  of  the  very  end  at 
which  it  aimed,  by  making-  that  desire  of  pre-eminence 
a  reason  of  her  subjection.  It  pleased  God  therefore  to 
declare  that  from  thence  forward  her  desires  should  be 
referred  to  the  will  of  her  husband,  either  to  reject  or 
comply  with  them  in  things  lawful,  as  he  thought  pro¬ 
per :  "And  thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,  and  he 
shall  rule  over  thee.”  Gen.  3  :  16 

It  is  therefore  nothing  less  than  an  open  resistance  of 
the  ordinance  of  God ;  it  is  nothing  less  than  a  proud, 
self-exalting  contempt  of  the  word  of  God,  in  a  wife  to 
affect  to  rule,  or  to  refuse  to  submit  to  the  authority  of 
her  husband.  For  this  submission  is  ordained  of  God, 
even  from  the  fall  of  man ;  and  is  confirmed  again  by 
the  command  of  the  inspired  apostle,  that,  "  as  the 
church  is  subject  to  Christ ;”  acknowledging  his  power, 
and  submitting  to  his  authority,  though  contrary  to  na¬ 
tural  inclination  :  "  so  let  the  wives  be  to  their  own  hus¬ 
bands,  in  every  thing.”  Eph.  5  :  24.  The  plain  meaning 
must  be,  that  in  every  instance  where  the  command  of 
the  husband  does  not  interfere  with  duty  to  God,  the 
wife  is  obliged  to  comply,  and  give  up  her  own  will 
without  murmurinof. 

If  it  be  urged,  that  the  wife  has  frequently  more  un¬ 
derstanding  and  ability  to  govern  than  the  husband, 
and  therefore  on  this  account  may  think  herself  excused 
from  paying  obedience  and  living  in  subjection,  the  an¬ 
swer  is  obvious :  she  has  liberty  to  use  her  superior 
wisdom  in  giving  counsel,  in  producing  such  strong 
reasons  as  are  proper  to  correct  a  mistaken  judgment, 
and  persuade  to  a  change  of  sentiment  or  conduct.  But 
if  the  force  of  her  persuasions  prove  ineffectual,  sub 
jection  is  her  wisely  appointed  duty.  Indeed,  if  more 
than  the  liberty  to  advise  were  allowed  on  account  of 
greater  talents,  it  must  follow  that  authority  is  founded 
on  the  superiority  of  intellectual  endowments  :  a  notion 


THE  MARRIED  STATE. 


279 


big  with  confusion  and  ruin  to  society.  For  suppose  a 
servant  endued  with  more  capacity  and  grace  too  (as 
often  is  the  case)  than  his  master ;  stiil  how  manifestly 
incongruous  would  it  appear,  should  this  be  urged  as  a 
reason  for  his  refusing  to  be  under  the  control  to  which 
it  was  indisputably  his  duty  to  submit ;  his  duty,  because 
though  allowed  to  be  superior  in  understanding,  he  is 
inferior  in  station.  To  attempt,  therefore,  to  gain  the 
place  of  authority,  or  contend  for  it  on  account  of  gifts 
and  parts,  is  to  abuse  them  to  the  subverting  that  order 
which  the  sovereign  Giver  of  them  has  himself  estab¬ 
lished.  The  Christian  rule  is  positive  against  such  usur¬ 
pation.  It  speaks  thus  :  "Let  the  wife  see  that  she  re¬ 
verence  her  husband  that  is,  in  opposition  to  the  vio¬ 
lent  pride  and  selfishness  of  human  nature,  let  her  with 
carefulness  watch  her  own  heart,  that  she  may  not  be 
found  wanting  in  submission  to  him  j  for  if  she  is,  her 
deportment  is  most  unbecoming  a  woman  professing 
godliness.  Let  her  look  through  her  husband  to  God, 
the  author  of  the  marriage  union,  and  habitually  call  to 
mind  the  holy  appointment  so  plainly  made  known  in 
his  word. 

It  is  a  case  which  too  frequently  happens,  that  one 
party  is  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  God  and  Christ  Je¬ 
sus ,  whilst  the  other  remains  in  natural  unbelief  and 
bitter  prejudice  against  the  power  of  godliness.  Here 
much  of  the  comfort  of  the  nuptial  union  must  be  pre¬ 
vented  :  here,  instead  of  animating  and  assisting  each 
other  in  their  best  interests,  the  believing  husband  or 
wife  will  find  a  severe  cross  in  the  vain  company,  the 
foolish  discourse,  the  favorite  pleasures,  and  the  low 
pursuits,  in  which  alone  the  unconverted  party  can  de¬ 
light.  Yet  in  these  trying  circumstances,  the  power  of 
Christian  faith  will  display  itself  to  great  advantage.  It 
will  produce  a  persevering  meekness,  and  patient  wait¬ 
ing  in  love,  if  God,  peradventure,  shall  give  repentance 


280 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


to  the  acknowledgment  of  the  truth.  It  will  excite  to 
greater  circumspection  in  adorning  the  Gospel,  so  that 
the  mind  disaffected  to  God  and  his  great  salvation  may 
be  won  over  even  "without  the  word.”  1  Pet.  3:1.  It 
will  provoke  to  earnest  intercession  with  God  to  crown 
his  loving-kindness  by  making  those  who  are  already 
united  by  the  marriage  tie,  one  spirit  in  the  Lord 


y 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

i  t 

JREEJ1  TSJ^E  1 ?  U  TIES.— continued. 


OF  PARENTS  TOWARDS  THEIR  CHILDREN. 

The  nearest  connection  in  life  after  the  nuptial  union, 
is  that  which  subsists  between  parents  and  their  chil¬ 
dren.  From  this  connection  arise  various  duties,  both 
of  a  temporal  and  a  spiritual  kind,  to  the  discharge  of 
which  every  Christian  will  conscientiously  attend. 

1.  It  is  a  duty  all  parents  owe  their  children,  to  ac¬ 
custom  them  to  early  habits  of  industry  ;  and  to  inspire 
them  with  a  contempt  and  abhorrence  of  idleness,  as 
the  great  corrupter  of  the  human  mind,  and  inlet  to 
every  vice.  The  poor  must  strongly  insist  upon  their 
children’s  giving  themselves  diligently  to  work,  not  only 
as  necessary  to  procure  themselves  bread,  but  as  the 
means  of  preventing  temptations  to  pilfering  and  theft, 
and  keeping  them  from  infamy  and  the  gallows.  The 
children  of  the  rich  stand  in  no  less  need  of  being  ex- 


THE  DUTY  OF  PARENTS. 


281 


cited  to  industrious  application  of  their  time  and  talents. 
From  their  earliest  years  they  should  hear  that  neither 
wealth  nor  a  large  estate,  nor  even  nobility  of  birth,  can 
preserve  them  from  being  despicable  and  noxious  to  so¬ 
ciety,  if  they  take  no  pains  to  acquire  what  will  improve 
the  mind  and  give  them  ability  to  perform  their  duty ; 
that  without  love  of  employment  suited  to  their  sta¬ 
tion,  like  truant  school-boys,  they  must  seek  men  as 
idle  as  themselves  for  their  companions ;  and,  to  kill 
time,  must  be  eager  in  the  pursuit  of  foolish  and  puerile 
amusements ;  and  even  be  tempted  to  sink  into  mean¬ 
ness  and  the  wickedness  of  a  debauched  life,  merely  to 
free  themselves  from  the  languor  and  misery  of  sloth. 
On  the  contrary,  that  by  cultivating  the  love  of  study 
and  fine  writers,  by  being  active  and  useful,  by  im¬ 
proving  their  advantages  of  station,  they  will  never  feel 
time  a  burden  on  their  hands.  They  will  always  be  do¬ 
ing  good,  and  be  honorable  in  their  generation.  These 
instructions,  enforced  by  the  example  of  the  very  con¬ 
duct  they  inculcate,  will  work  as  a  powerful  antidote  to 
the  intoxicating  pride  which  wealth  and  grandeur  na¬ 
turally  inspire :  enforced,  I  say,  by  the  example  of  the 
conduct  they  inculcate ;  for  if  the  persons  who  give 
these  instructions  violate  them,  they  can  have  no  effect. 
Children  must  necessarily  believe  that  their  parents 
judge  that  to  be  the  way  of  happiness  in  which  they 
see  them  continually  walk,  because  they  do  it  out  of 
choice ;  and  if  they  did  not  think  it  best,  why  should 
they  choose  it  1  As  it  would,  therefore,  appear  cruel  in 
parents  to  correct  or  reprove  for  tempers  and  practices 
their  children  learn  from  themselves,  so  it  would  be 
absurd  to  expect  that  precept  or  reproof  should  profit 
them,  when  the  persons  from  whom  they  come  are  not 
themselves  acting  under  their  influence. 

2.  It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  make  a  provision  for 
their  children,  sufficient,  if  they  can,  to  enable  them,  by 


282 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


honest  industry,  or  some  liberal  profession,  to  support 
themselves ,  and  be  useful  members  of  society.  For  what 
can  be  more  contrary  to  the  feelings  of  parental  love,  than, 
by  idleness  or  extravagance,  to  expose  their  offspring 
to  poverty,  or  to  force  them  to  settle  in  a  station  of  life 
much  beneath  that  in  which  they  were  born — a  cause 
frequently  of  much  vexation  to  them,  and  a  bitter  dis¬ 
appointment  which  few  are  able  to  bear.  But  with  regard 
to  what  may  properly  be  called  a  provision, — reason,  not 
fashion, — the  word  of  God,  not  blind  affection, — must 
determine.  When  persons  who  were  born  to  no  estate, 
think  it  incumbent  on  them  to  amass  wealth  sufficient 
to  raise  their  children  above  the  need  of  any  employ¬ 
ment  or  profession,  scanty  must  be  their  charities,  and 
strong  their  love  of  money.  And  so  far  is  opulence 
from  being  any  real,  benefit  to  children,  that  (a  few  in¬ 
stances  excepted)  it  proves  a  corrupter  of  their  hearts, 
a  pander  to  their  lusts ;  fixing  them  in  habits  of  vanity, 
extravagance  and  luxury. 

3.  But  the  duty  which,  above  all  others,  is  incumbent 
on  parents,  is  to  provide,  as  far  as  lies  in  them,  for  the 
spiritual  and  everlasting  welfare  of  their  offspring.  And 
here  let  me  request  the  mgst  serious  attention  of  every 
parent.  I  am  at  a  loss  for  words  strong  enough  to  de¬ 
scribe  the  importance  of  this  duty.  Parents  ought  to 
consider  themselves  as  chiefly  living  for  the  proper  dis¬ 
charge  of  it,  and  as  in  the  most  solemn  manner  account¬ 
able  to  God  for  their  conduct  herein.  Let  them  attend 
to  the  many  and  strong  obligations  by  which  they  are 
bound  to  the  performance  of  it. 

This  is  clearly  the  command  of  God :  "  These  words/* 
saith  he,  "which  I  command  thee  this  day  shall  be  in 
thine  heart :  and  thou  shalt  teach  them  diligently  unto 
thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou  sittest 
in  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and 
when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up.”  Deut 


THE  DUTY  OF  FAR ENTS. 


283 


6:6,  7.  "  He  established  a  testimony  in  Jacob,  and  ap¬ 
pointed  a  law  in  Israel,  which  he  commanded  our  fathers 
that  they  should  make  them  known  to  their  children : 
that  the  generation  to  come  might  know  them,  even  the 
children  which  should  be  born ;  who  should  arise  and 
declare  them  to  their  children  :  that  they  might  set  their 
hope  in  God,  and  not  forget  the  works  of  God,  but 
keep  his  commandments.”  Psalm  78  :  5—7.  The  New 
Testament  enforces  the  same  duty,  and  calls  upon  fa¬ 
thers  to  bring  up  their  children  "  in  the  nurture  and  ad¬ 
monition  of  the  Lord.  Ephes.  6  :  4.  The  command  of 
God  thus  to  educate  their  children  in  the  service,  and 
for  the  honor  of  their  Maker  and  Redeemer,  is  univer¬ 
sally  acknowledged  by  pious  parents. 

Again,  riatural  affection  should  influence  Christian  pa¬ 
rents  to  be  solicitous  for  the  salvation  of  their  children. 
That  they  know  they  have  immortal  souls  is  taken  for 
granted ;  therefore  if  they  neglect  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  them,  anxious  only  to  heap  up  wealth, 
to  provide  them  with  temporal  subsistence,  this  is  but  a 
brutish  fondness,  not  a  rational,  much  less  a  Christian 
kind  of  love.  A  rational,  a  Christian  affection  for  chil¬ 
dren,  must  make  parents  reason  thus  with  themselves: 

"  These  tender  plants,  sprung  from  our  own  bodies, 
are  endued  with  an  immortal  spirit :  they  possess  a  ca¬ 
pacity  of  serving,  loving  and  enjoying  the  favor  of  the 
blessed  God  for  ever.  And  if  they  do  not  serve,  love 
and  enjoy  him  for  ever,  their  being,  instead  of  a  bless¬ 
ing,  will  prove  an  insupportable  curse.  We,  their  pa¬ 
rents,  feel  such  love  for  them  as  impels  us  to  think  no 
pains  too  great  to  provide  for  their  present  comfort. 
Rut  what  avails  it  to  secure  them,  were  we  able,  from 
the  evils  of  transient  sickness,  pain  and  poverty,  if 
woes  of  endless  duration  are  to  be  their  final  portion  I 
What  avails  the  most  ardent  affection,  which  reaches 
only  to  the  mortal  part,  if  all  that  lieth  in  our  power  is 


284 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


not  done,  that  after  their  passage  through  the  present 
short-lived  scene  of  things,  they  may  enter  into  eter¬ 
nity  in  the  favor  of  God  1” 

A  small  degree  of  natural  affection,  where  there  is 
any  persuasion  of  the  certainty  of  another  world,  must 
excite  such  reasonings  as  this  in  the  breast  of  parents, 
and  be  followed  with  some  correspondent  care  in  the 
education  of  their  offspring. 

But  those  parents,  who  are  in  truth  what  they  profess 
to  be,  Christians,  have  a  clear  view  by  faith  of  the  reali¬ 
ties  of  the  invisible  world.  They  feel  their  unspeakable 
importance  ;  and  such  is  their  love  to  God,  that,  were 
it  in  their  power,  there  would  not  remain  one  rebel  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  one  slave  to  sin.  They  are  grieved 
to  see  any  perishing,  whilst  Jesus,  mighty  to  save,  and 
merciful  to  pardon,  stands  ready,  with  open  arms,  to 
receive  all  who  will  come  to  him  for  life.  With  what 
greater  force,  then,  must  these  principles  and  sentiments 
work  in  them  toward  their  own  offspring.  How  solicit¬ 
ous,  how  active  must  they  be,  to  secure  their  spiritual 
welfare. 

Further,  the  aptitude  of  children  to  receive  either 
good  or  bad  impressions,  which  can  scarcely  be  after¬ 
wards  effaced,  forms  another  powerful  argument  for  in¬ 
structing  them  with  the  utmost  care  in  the  knowledge 
of  God.  Should  this  noble  opportunity  to  season  their 
minds  with  excellent  sentiments,  and  to  furnish  them 
with  just  notions,  be  lost,  all  future  methods  of  instruc¬ 
tion  or  means  of  grace  are  likely  to  be  without  effect. 
For  children  very  soon  and  very  justly  conclude,  that 
whatever  their  parents  inculcate  with  seriousness  and 
frequency  must  be  worthy  of  their  remembrance ;  and, 
on  the  contrary,  that  the  things  in  which  they  have 
never  or  very  seldom  been  instructed,  must  be  of  little 
or  no  advantage  to  their  happiness.  Hence  young  peo¬ 
ple  who  have  never  been  taught  at  home  the  excellent 


THE  DUTY  OF  PARENTS. 


285 


Majesty  of  the  Lord  oar  God;  our  absolute  dependence 
upon  him,  and  his  unwearied  mercy  towards  us ;  attend 
ti\e  public  worship  of  his  name  with  most  offensive 
hwity  and  profaneness  of  carriage.  What  mere  bab- 
b.Uwg  also  must  their  secret  prayers  be  (if  they  are  di¬ 
rected  to  pray  at  all)  if  they  have  never  been  instructed 
in  the  nature  and  qualities  of  sin,  never  been  taught  the 
worth  of  the  soul  or  the  weakness  and  depravity  of 
man,  on  which  is  founded  the  necessity  of  prayer 
and  the  aids  of  grace !  What  an  invincible  obstacle, 
humanly  speaking,  to  the  success  of  the  preacher  of 
the  Gospel  must  be  found  in  the  hearts  of  young  peo¬ 
ple,  whose  natural  ignorance,  pride  and  unbelief,  like 
poisonous  plants,  have  been  nourished  by  their  parents’ 
principles,  or  suffered  to  strengthen  by  their  criminal 
neglect.  Nay,  even  the  calls  of  God  in  the  voice  of 
his  providence,  by  the  death  of  relations,  by  misfor¬ 
tunes  and  afflictions  in  the  family,  are  likely  to  lose  their 
intended  benefit  where  no  care  has  been  taken  to  teach 
children,  that  these  are  monitors  from  God  to  lead  men 
to  consider  their  ways  and  repent  of  their  transgressions. 

It  is  true  (blessed  be  the  free  grace  of  God  and  the 
power  of  his  Spirit)  that  children  who  were  utterly 
neglected,  and  even  became  vicious  through  their  pa¬ 
rents’  neglect,  have  been  and  are  daily  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  salvation  by  Christ.  Nevertheless,  it  is 
certain  that  the  prevalence  both  of  empty  formality  and 
open  profaneness  is  in  a  great  measure  owing  to  parents 
neglecting  their  duty  to  their  children,  and  by  them  it 
must  be  answered  for. 

Another  reason  which  should  engage  parents  to  care 
for  the  salvation  of  their  children  is,  that  God  takes  par¬ 
ticular  notice  of  their  behavior  in  this  matter.  Abraham, 
the  father  of  the  faithful  and  friend  of  God,  stands 
greatly  distinguished  on  this  very  account:  "  And  the 
Lord  said,  shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  the  thing  which  I 


288 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


do,  seeing  that  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and 
a  mighty  nation,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be 
blessed  in  him  1  For  I  know  him,  that  he  will  command 
his  children  and  his  household  after  him.”  Other  shin¬ 
ing  excellencies  in  Abraham  might  have  been  mention 
ed ;  but  the  Lord  God,  you  observe,  selects  and  holds 
forth  to  our  notice  as  a  peculiar  excellency  in  which  he 
delighted,  and  names  it  in  conjunction  with  the  inesti¬ 
mable  promise  of  the  Savior,  that  Abraham  would  above 
all  things  regard  the  salvation  of  his  children,  and  the 
honor  of  God  in  his  family. 

On  the  other  hand,  how  awful  does  the  Scripture  re¬ 
present  the  indignation  of  the  Almighty  against  the 
negligence  of  parents  with  respect  to  their  children’s 
spiritual  welfare.  Behold  he  does  a  thing  in  Israel  at 
which  both  the  ears  of  every  one  that  heareth  it  do 
tingle.  The  aged  Eli,  though  piously  disposed  himself, 
yet  "because  his  sons  made  themselves  vile,  and  he 
restrained  them  not ;”  because  he  mildly  admonished 
when  he  should  have  rebuked  with  all  severity ;  ex¬ 
pressed  only  his  disapprobation  of  their  conduct,  when 
he  should  have  threatened  them  at  their  peril  to  per¬ 
sist,  and  upon  their  obstinacy  have  delivered  them  up 
to  the  punishment  of  the  law :  for  this  neglect  he  is 
branded  as  in  some  degree  an  accessary  to  their  ini¬ 
quity  ;  he  is  charged  with  "  kicking  at  the  sacrifice  of 
God,”  and  "  honoring  his  sons  above  him.”  He  must 
hear  the  doom  of  his  family,  that  they  should  be  cut  off 
from  the  altar,  and  that  the  iniquity  of  his  house,  should 
not  be  purged.  "For  them  that  honor  me,”  saith  the 
Lord  God,  "I  will  honor;  and  they  that  despise  me 
shall  be  lightly  esteemed.”  1  Sam.  2  :  30.  From  both 
these  instances  judge  how  much  it  is  the  duty  and  in¬ 
terest  of  parents  to  be  very  diligent  in  training  up  their 
children  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God. 

The  state  of  children,  exposed  to  the  most  alarming 


TI1E  DUTY  OF  PARENTS 


287 


dangers,  also  loudly  calls  upon  parents  to  be  solici¬ 
tous  for  their  salvation.  Their  case  demands  compas¬ 
sion,  for  they  are  wholly  estranged  from  God.  How 
much  grief,  anger  and  vexation  do  you  see  them  feel, 
oven  in  their  very  childhood,  from  their  natural  stub¬ 
bornness,  passion,  envy,  pride  and  selfishness.  And  do 
you  not  know  what  these  disorders  portend  1  What 
greater  troubles,  what  severer  conflicts,  what  more  fre¬ 
quent  vexations  await  them  as  their  certain  portion, 
unless  the  strength  of  these  baleful  passions  is  sub¬ 
dued  1  Are  you  not  conscious  what  latent  seeds  of 
various  lusts  are  to  be  found  in  their  hearts,  which  will 
ripen  by  time  and  occasion  to  a  terrible  harvest  of  cor¬ 
ruption  unless  prevented  by  you!  Can  you  think  of 
this,  and  be  negligent  or  dilatory  in  commending  their 
case  to  the  great  physician  of  souls,  and  teaching  them 
how  much  they  need  and  ought  to  seek  for  his  power 
to  heal  them  1 

Were  a  parent  to  leave  his  child  alone  in  paths  beset 
with  beasts  of  prey,  and  full  of  covert  precipices,  would 
not  his  scandalous  negligence  or  wanton  barbarity  shock 
every  humane  heart  1  But  do  you  act  a  better  part,  O 
parent,  if  you. leave  your  child  to  walk  through  this 
world  filled  with  seducing  objects,  infested  with  a 
subtle  watchful  adversary,  and  lying  in  wickedness — to 
walk  through  such  a  world,  without  the  light  of  faith, 
the  defence  of  God,  the  influences  of  his  Spirit $  igno¬ 
rant  of  the  grounds  of  justice,  truth,  sobriety,  chastity 
and  a  Christian  life  ;  by  what  strength  they  are  to  be 
practised  ;  why  they  are  so  absolutely  required  ;  ant! 
what  the  irreparable  misery  of  violating  these  holy  du 
ties'?  A  young  man  or  woman  entering  upon  the  stage 
of  life,  ignorant  of  these  things,  is  like  a  child  deserted 
by  its  unnatural  parent  in  the  howling  wilderness,  and 
is  not  more  likely  to  escape  destruction. 

Again,  were  you  content,  0  parent!  to  see  your 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


288 

child  hastening  to  poverty,  to  a  jail,  and  an  infamous 
death, — and  use  no  methods  to  reclaim  him, — what 
words  could  express  your  guilt]  Be  not  deceived :  you 
are  in  effect  as  guilty  whilst  you  are  negligent  about 
their  spiritual  welfare.  For  go  now,  and  inquire  of  poor 
imprisoned  debtors,  what  deprived  them  of  the  sweets 
of  liberty,  and  their  family  and  society  of  the  benefit  of 
their  labor ;  the  answer  in  general  from  that  place  of 
wretchedness  would  be  this:  "Not  the  cruel  rigor  of 
our  creditors  towards  us3  not  any  unavoidable  losses 
in  trade;  but  early  vice  and  headstrong  passions,  never 
controlled  in  our  education  by  religious  instructions, 
never  disciplined  by  the  fear  of  God,  brought  us  to  this 
shameful  house  of  our  prison.  Our  parents  were  the 
first,  and  the  most  effectual  instruments  of  our  ruin. 
Some  of  them  live  to  see  it ;  and  groan  under  the  con¬ 
viction  of  this  heart-breaking  truth.  Amidst  all  the 
other  instances  of  their  affection,  the  grand  one  still 
was  wanting,  to  give  conscience  authority,  by  teaching 
us  the  word  of  God.  This  would  have  made  us  tremble 
at  those  sins  which  have  destroyed  our  possessions, 
our  peace  and  our  character.” 

Consider,  ye  parents,  with  yourselves,  how  such  an 
accusation  could  be  borne  by  any  of  you  from  the 
mouths  of  those  who  were  intrusted  by  God  to  your 
care,  that  you  might  early  instil  into  their  minds  the 
important  principles  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  guide 
them  into  the  path  of  righteousness. 

But  should  there  be  any  parents  so  hardened  in  pro¬ 
faneness,  as  not  to  care  what  may  become  of  their  off¬ 
spring  hereafter,  provided  they  escape  poverty,  and 
prosper  in  this  world ;  let  them  know  and  hear  once 
more,  whether  they  will  attend  to  the  awful  truth  or 
no,  that  there  is  a  day  coming  when  they  will  see  that 
their  relation  to  their  children  was  constituted  for  far 
higher  purposes  than  to  secure  them  advantages  in  this 


THE  DUTY  OF  PARENTS. 


2S9 

world,  or  to  keep  them  from  its  misfortunes.  Then  how 
insupportable  will  it  he  to  them  to  hear  their  own  chil¬ 
dren  calling  out  for  justice  on  them,  imputing  their 
damnation,  in  a  great  measure,  to  their  cruelty.  They 
kept  the  dreadful  danger  out  of  sight,  they  suffered 
their  passions  to  rule,  they  joined  in  extolling  pleasure, 
riches,  honor  and  power ;  but  never  exposed  the  mis¬ 
chief,  infamy  and  ruin,  inseparable  from  obstinate  dis¬ 
obedience  to  God.  How  insufferable  the  anguish,  when 
children,  with  bitter  imprecations,  will  rage  against 
their  father  and  mother,  and  curse  the  day  in  which 
they  were  born  to  them, — born  finally  to  aggravate 
their  misery,  by  perishing  together  with  them. 

The  united  force,  therefore,  of  these  various  obliga¬ 
tions,  and  these  heart-affecting  considerations,  must 
make  all  Christian  parents  active  and  solicitous,  above 
every  thing,  to  do  what  lies  in  their  power,  as  instru¬ 
ments,  to  prepare  their  offspring  to  receive  the  truth 
of  God  to  the  saving  of  their  souls;  and  to  use  those 
methods  in  which  they  may  expect  his  grace  to  work 
with  them,  and  give  them  the  desired  efficacy. 


Duty  of  Man. 


13 


290 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

REJjSu I TITPE  H  57 TIES.— con  tinned. 


ON  THE  METHOD  OF  INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 

The  duty  of  Christian  parents  to  instruct  their  chil¬ 
dren  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ  has  been 
laid  before  you.  But  as  the  condition  and  capacities  of 
men  are  very  different,  it  is  accordingly  the  duty  of 
some, — and  what  God  will  undoubtedly  require  at  their 
hands, — to  bestowT  much  more  pains  in  this  matter,  and 
to  use  a  greater  variety  of  methods  with  their  children 
than  others.  " 

The  poor  will  discharge  their  duty  to  their  children 
by  correcting  them  from  their  early  childhood  for  lying, 
for  pilfering,  even  in  the  smallest  degree  ;  for  swear¬ 
ing,  for  quarrelling,  and  for  every  mark  of  a  cruel  dis¬ 
position  :  by  frequently  declaring  to  them  that  it  is  a 
good  and  gracious  God  who  gives  their  parents  strength 
to  provide  food  for  their  offspring ;  that  he  is  their 
Maker,  whose  eyes  are  ever  over  all ;  that  he  will  give 
unto  every  one  according  to  his  doings,  when  he  shall 
call  the  whole  world  before  his  tribunal :  that  this  Mo- 
rious  God  will  ever  bless,  love  and  comfort  those  that 
fear  and  love  him  ;  but  that  he  will  punish  with  incon¬ 
ceivable  pain  all  wicked  and  ungodly  persons  who  do 
the  things  and  indulge  the  tempers  which  he  hates. 

The  poor  who  fear  God  themselves,  have  it  further 
in  their  power  to  guide  their  children  to  pray  morning 
and  evening  ;  to  tell  them  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of 
God,  which  they  must  believe  and  love ;  to  carry  them 
to  the  sanctuary  on  the  Lord’s  day,  and  to  keep  them 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


291 


from  profaning  it.  And  when  these  things  are  enforced 
’  by  a  good  example  accompanied  by  prayer,  there  is 
little  doubt  but  that  their  children  will  be  greatly  bless¬ 
ed ;  and,  generally  speaking,  tread  in  the  steps  of  their 
godly  and  excellent  parents.  And  where  so  much  time 
must  be  employed  in  hard  labor,  and  the  understanding 
can  be  so-  little  improved,  such  a  course  as  this  may, 
I  apprehend,  be  deemed  a  conscientious  discharge  of 
their  duty  towards  their  children  whilst  they  are  young. 

But  when  years  have  opened  the  minds  of  their  off¬ 
spring,  all  that  believe  in  Jesus,  however  poor,  will  de¬ 
light  to  enlarge  their  instructions.  They  will  tell  them 
that  their  own  guilty  consciences  never  found  peace  till 
they  depended  on  the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus  shed  on 
the  cross,  and  pleaded  that  alone  for  their  pardon  be¬ 
fore  God  j  that  they  obtained  deliverance  from  their 
strongest  sins  only  by  praying  for  the  power  and  in¬ 
dwelling  presence  of  God’s  Spirit ;  that  they  have  been 
kept  in  peace  from  worldly  fears,  and  from  anxiety  for 
a  subsistence,  by  casting  all  their  care  upon  God,  recon 
ciled  to  them  in  his  dear  Son. 

t 

In  the  middle  ranks  of  life,  where  superior  education 
has  better  qualified  parents,  and  leisure  has  made  them 
capable  of  taking  more  pains  with  their  children,  it  is 
certainly  their  duty  to  go  far  beyond  the  poor  in  this 
important  matter.  They  must,  therefore,  not  only  use 
the  same  care  as  the  poor  in  all  the  things  already  men¬ 
tioned,  by  impressing  them  with  a  regard  for  truth,  jus¬ 
tice,  and  mercy,  but  study  also  the  most  probable  me¬ 
thods  of  making  divine  knowledge  pleasant  to  the  souls 
of  their  children.  A  successful  method  of  doing  this,  I 
apprehend,  will  be  to  watch  the  opportunities  for  giving 
life  to  religious  instruction  by  an  appeal  to  outward 
things  and  particular  providences.  Now,  by  a  proper 
attention,  this  may  be  done  by  parents  in  so  great  a 
variety  of  instances  as  to  take  in  all  the  particulai 


292 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


branches  of  divine  knowledge  in  which  children  should 
be  established. 

To  explain  myself  at  large:  the  first  thing  in  which 
all  children  should  be  thoroughly  instructed,  is,  that  God 
is  good  and  gracious ,  and  that  the  earth  is  full  of  his 
goodness.  To  give  force  to  this  truth,  which  you  must 
be  often  telling  to  your  children,  point  out  to  them,  in 
the  spring,  when  the  whole  country  is  arrayed  in  all  its 
beauty,  what  their  eyes  attest,  the  wide-extended  boun¬ 
ty  of  God;  tell  them,  they  are  his  clouds  which  drop 
fatness ;  that  it  is  his  sun  which  imparts  its  genial 
warmth  to  make  the  ground  fruitful ;  that  he  causeth 
the  grass  to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  man,  and  bread  to  strengthen  man’s  heart,  and 
oil  and  wine  to  make  him  of  a  cheerful  countenance ; 
that  could  they  see  the  extent  of  God’s  bounty,  they 
would  see  innumerable  millions  of  creatures  in  heaven 
above,  in  earth  beneath,  and  in  the  waters  under  the 
earth,  sustained  by  his  daily,  his  incessant  communica¬ 
tions  of  good.  In  autumn,  when  the  fields  stand  thick 
with  shocks  of  corn,  and  the  trees  bend  under  their 
load  of  fruit ;  amidst  this  delightful  scene,  draw  aside 
the  veil  of  ignorance,  and  fix  their  attention  upon  God, 
as  the  invisible  yet  only  cause  of  all  the  plenty  and 
beneficence  around  them. 

In  winter,  you  will  have  frequent  opportunities  of 
bringing  the  elements  to  bear  witness  to  the  glory  of 
their  Maker.  In  this  dreary  season  of  the  year,  when 
frost  has  made  the  earth  as  iron,  and  congealed  the 
flowing  streams  into  solid  ice,  lead  your  children  to  ob* 
serve  Iioav  passive  the  whole  creation  is  in  the  hand  of 
itg  eternal  Maker.  When  the  cold  is  so  intense  as  to 
become  in  some  degree  distressing,  and  its  continuance 
would  prove  hurtful,  then  observe  to  them  how  instant¬ 
ly  he  changes  the  scene  ;  he  bloweth  with  his  wind,  and 
the  waters  flow  again.  At  another  time,  when  the  deep 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


293 


snow  falls,  and  covers  every  object  with  its  fleeces ) 
teach  them  how  suddenly  at  his  word  it  totally  dis¬ 
appears,  having  answered  the  purpose  for  which  it^ 
was  sent. 

Pursuing  the  same  method,  when  you  have  told  your 
children  of  the  power  of  God,  and  what  a  dreadful  thing 
it  is  to  have  him  for  their  enemy,  repeat  the  instruction 
just  after  his  thunder  has  shaken  your  dwelling,  and  the 
arrows  of  his  lightning  have  glared  before  their  eyes ; 
or  just  after  the  tempestuous  wind  has  left  in  the  neigh¬ 
borhood  some  traces  of  its  fury.  That  is  the  time  to 
assure  them  that  fire  and  vapor,  snow  and  hail,  storm 
and  tempest, — wild  and  outrageous  as  they  seem  to 
us, — move  only  as  and  where  God  appoints  their  course, 
with  infinitely  more  exactness  than  the  best  disciplined 
troops  obey  the  signals  of  their  leader ;  and  that  though 
the  earth  should  be  moved,  and  the  hills  be  carried  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea,  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  his  obe¬ 
dient  people,  and  is  their  refuge  and  trust. 

Thus  by  pointing  out  to  your  children  the  invisible 
God,  as  wmrking  in  all  these  most  sensible  changes ;  and 
by  furnishing  their  minds  with  those  sublime  Scriptures, 
in  which  he  asserts  his  immediate  and  absolute  domi¬ 
nion  over  all  the  elements  of  fire  and  water,  earth  and 
air ;  you  will  make  the  creation  a  school  of  instruction 
to  them.  By  this  manner  of  teaching  you  will  give  a 
body  and  substance  to  the  truth,  which  otherwise  is  too 
abstracted  for  their  clear  apprehension.  Lectures  of  this 
kind,  repeated  not  too  frequently,  (lest  they  should  sur¬ 
feit  children,  a  thing  greatly  to  be  guarded  against,)  but 
at  such  intervals  as  these  various  appearances  occur, 
will  early  form  your  children  to  adore  their  great  Crea¬ 
tor,  and  impress  them  with  a  sense  of  his  presence  and 
agency  in  every  place.  Thus,  in  the  most  rational  man¬ 
ner,  and  in  obedience  to  your  Maker’s  command,  you 
will  talk  of  him,  and  his  works,  and  truth,  when  you  go 


294 


COMILETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


out,  and  when  you  come  in,  when  you  sit  down,  and 
when  you  rise  up. 

Another  truth  of  great  importance,  which  young  chil¬ 
dren  are  capable  of  being  taught,  is,  that  health  and 
strength  are  the  gifts  of  God.  This  you  must  frequently 
assure  them  is  the  truth.  But  more  effectually  to  realize 
this  truth,  watch  some  opportunity,  and  regard  it  as  the 
noblest  employ,  to  carry  them  to  the  bed  of  a  brother, 
a  sister,  or  play-fellow,  who  is  sick  and  in  pain.  Imme¬ 
diately  after  the  visit,  take  them  aside  to  tell  them  you 
waited  for  this  opportunity  to  persuade  them  of  the 
truth  of  what  you  have  often  taught  them,  that  it  is  God 
who  maketh  sick  and  maketh  well :  that  it  is  owing  to 
his  sovereign  and  infinitely  wise  appointment,  that  some 
are  on  a  bed  of  languishing,  crying  out  through  strong 
pain,  others  decked  with  health,  and  smiling  with  joy  ] 
and  conclude  with  observing  how  thankful  you  are  to 
God,  that  they  are  still  preserved  by  him  in  strength. 
The  very  same  instruction  may  also  be  brought  to  their 
remembrance  with  a  still  more  powerful  application 
when  they  themselves  feel  the  blessing  of  ease  after  the 
smart  of  pain. 

It  is  of  great  benefit  early  to  teach  your  children  also 
that  life  and  death ,  as  well  as  sickness  and  pain,  are  at 
the  supreme  disposal  of  God.  The  proper  season  to 
rivet  this  instruction  is  when  a  domestic,  a  friend  or 
neighbor,  known  to  your  children,  has  just  expired  and 
the  awful  report  is  brought  to  their  ears.  Then  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  the  deceased  immediately  before  death, 
the  medicines  used,  the  help  of  physicians,  the  sorrows, 
sighs  and  tears  of  friends  and  relations,  are  to  be  urged 
as  sensible  proofs  that  it  is  God  that  taketh  away  our 
breath  in  infancy,  youth,  or  riper  years,  just  as  he  sees 
fit,  and  that  none  can  deliver  out  of  his  hand. 

At  the  same  time  especially,  you  should  be  careful  to 
instruct  your  children  what  is  meant  by  the  news  just 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


295 


brought  to  their  ears,  Such  a  one  is  dead.  Then  assure 
them  that  to  die  is  to  pass  out  of  a  changing  world  into 
one  unchangeable  :  that  it  is  the  removal  of  an  immor¬ 
tal  soul  out  of  a  corruptible  body,  to  be  happy  or  mise¬ 
rable  in  an  extreme  degree,  according  to  what  it  has 
done  in  this  life  :  that  to  every  proud,  every  wicked, 
every  unbelieving  man  or  woman,  whether  rich  or  poor, 
a  king  or  a  beggar,  death  is  the  beginning  of  endless 
sorrow ;  but  that  to  every  one  who  has  loved  God,  and 
lived  and  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  death  is 
the  door  to  endless  joys,  and  the  perfection  of  glory. 

And  if  it  should  please  God  ever  to  bring  your  own 
children  into  extreme  danger  of  death,  and  yet  restore 
them  again  to  your  arms,  it  would  be  a  very  criminal 
neglect  in  you  to  omit  telling  them  that  you  hung 
over  their  bed  with  tears,  and  felt  for  their  pains,  but 
could  give  them  no  ease  ;  that  you  made  your  prayer 
to  God,  and  by  his  power  alone  they  were  relieved  and 
made  whole.  Suppose,  also,  that  either  of  you  their  pa¬ 
rents  have  been  recovered  from  the  borders  of  the  grave 
and  brought  again  with  joy  to  see  your  offspring;  then 
is  the  season  to  impress  them  with  the  truth  that  God 
is  the  Lord  of  life  and  death ;  that  it  is  he  who  hath 
spared  you  in  tender  mercy  to  be  still  the  guide  of  their 
youth  and  a  place  of  refuge  for  them. 

All  these  methods  of  instruction  should  be  used,  all 
these  religious  truths  you  ought  to  inculcate  upon  your 
children  in  their  early  childhood.  As  they  advance  to 
the  period  of  youth,  they  are  capable  of  being  reasoned 
with ;  capable  of  perceiving  the  force  of  all  those  ca¬ 
pital  arguments,  upon  which  a  godly  and  Christian  life 
is  supported,  against  all  opposition  from  without  or 
within.  Now  their  faculties  are  strong  enough  to  re¬ 
ceive  those  important  doctrines,  which  before  they 
were  scarcely  able  to  understand.  The  duty  of  parents, 
therefore,  now  requires  them  to  proceed  in  more  fully 


296 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


inculcating  Christian  principles  ;  in  representing  to  them 
the  excellency  and  absolute  necessity  of  loving  God, 
and  delighting  in  his  word  and  service  j  the  sin  of  be 
ing  peevish  and  discontented,  passionate  and  proud,  en 
vious  or  revengeful,  unchaste,  worldly  or  covetous. 

By  this  time  your  children  will  have  committed  so 
many  faults,  have  been  so  often  corrected  or  reproved 
for  them,  and  only  restrained,  contrary  to  natural  incli¬ 
nation,  from  committing  many  more  and  greater ;  that 
you  will  have  various  striking  proofs  to  convince  them 
that  they  are  creatures  corrupted  in  their  nature,  dis¬ 
affected  to  the  government  and  will  of  the  glorious 
God,  and  full  of  vile  propensities.  Now  show  them  the 
Scripture  character  of  fallen  man.  Produce  that  awful 
passage,  "  Yea,  also  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  full 
of  evil,  and  madness  is  in  their  heart  while  they  live.” 
Eccles.  9  :  3.  And  that  parallel  to  it,  "  We  all  like 
sheep  have  gone  astray,  we  have  turned  every  one  to 
his  own  way.”  Isa.  53  :  6.  In  full  confirmation  that 
they  themselves  are  included  in  those  Scriptures,  and 
that  their  depravity  is  such  as  is  here  set  forth,  you  may 
tell  them  what  pains,  what  correction,  what  restraints 
you  have  been  using  with  them  from  their  very  infancy 
on  account  of  their  faults,  to  conquer  their  evil  tem¬ 
pers  and  inspire  them  with  love  to  God  and  man:  and 
then  appeal  to  their  consciences,  whether  they  do  not 
find  contrary  tempers  still  rising  and  getting  the  mas¬ 
tery  within,  though  they  dare  not  suffer  them  to  break 
out.  Whilst  you  are  thus  unanswerably  proving  their 
innate  corruption,  it  is,  however,  your  duty  to  do  it 
with  tender  expressions  of  love,  lest  by  seeming  to  up¬ 
braid,  pride  and  prejudice  should  be  excited. 

The  use  you  are  immediately  to  make  of  this  disco¬ 
very  is  to  prove  to  them  the  great  need  of  the  Redeem¬ 
er's  interposition  and  merits.  For,  after  having  fixed  a 
conviction  upon  their  consciences,  that  they  have  often 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


291 


knowingly  done  what  God  has  forbidden,  what  their 
own  hearts  condemned  them  for,  and  that  they  have 
taken  pleasure  therein,  having  proved  that  there  has 
been  a  complication  of  injustice,  ingratitude  and  rebel¬ 
lion  in  their  conduct  towards  God,  you  may  draw  with 
great  force  this  important  conclusion,  that  it  did  not 
become  him,  "  by  whom  are  all  things,”  to  pardon  and 
receive  into  his  favor  such  sinful  creatures  without 
an  atonement,  without  some  sufficient  and  everlasting 
demonstration  of  his  infinite  abhorrence  of  their  sin, 
whilst  he  shews  an  astonishing  degree  of  love  for  their 
persons ;  that  without  shedding  of  blood  there  can  be 
no  remission  ;  nor  any  other  way  than  through  Christ 
Jesus,  for  the  wisdom,  justice  and  mercy  of  God  to  act 
harmoniously  in  the  salvation  of  sinners ;  and  that  it  is 
upon  account  of  what  Jesus  did  and  suffered  that  they 
have  been  spared,  and  never  yet  punished  as  their 
provocations  deserved. 

Now,  also,  is  the  time  to  bring  to  their  mind  the 
great  doctrines  which  the  Scriptures  reveal;* that  the 
Redeemer,  who  was  in  the  form  of  God,  and  thought  it 
no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  took  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  died  on  the  cross,  that  all  who 
believe  in  him  might  be  pardoned,  sanctified  and  saved. 
From  this  it  will  be  easy  to  observe  further  to  your 
children,  that  no  morality,  no  religion,  can  be  accept¬ 
able  to  him,  however  applauded  and  extolled  by  men, 
but  that  which  is  exercised  in  an  entire  dependence 
upon  Jesus  Christ,  which  proceeds  out  of  a  believing, 
humble  heart,  and  which  consists  in  a  constant  exercise 
of  all  those  tempers  towards  the  world,  our  fellow-crea¬ 
tures  and  our  God,  which  were  in  Christ  Jesus. 

One  point  more  with  respect  to  Scripture  doctrines, 
which  your  children  are  now  very  capable  of  being 
taught,  is,  their  weakness  and  inability,  unaided  from  on 
high,  to  live  up  to  what  the  law  of  God  justly  requires 

13* 


298 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


You  may  observe  to  them  how  often  they  have  been 
breaking  their  resolutions,  acting  against  their  convic¬ 
tions,  sorry  for  doing  amiss,  wishing  and  striving  in 
their  own  fancied  power  to  make  themselves  better,  yet 
still  defeated,  still  only  the  more  entangled  vexed  and 
guilty  in  their  own  eyes.  Tell  them  that  this  must  ever 
be  the  case  if  they  ask  not  for  the  Spirit  of  God,  if  they 
place  not  their  trust  wholly  in  his  power  and  influence  : 
that  God,  knowing  our  weakness,  has  promised  this 
Spirit,  and  commanded  us  to  implore  his  continual  aid 
and  guidance.  Desire  them  to  make  the  experiment* 
for  themselves  j  to  have  done  with  placing  confidence 
in  their  vows,  promises  and  good  resolutions ;  to  rely 
alone  on  Christ,  and  .to  pray,  as  creatures  ruined  by 
sin  and  utterly  depraved,  for  the  Spirit  of  God  to  work 
effectually  in  them:  and  conclude  with  assuring  them 
that  in  this  very  manner  you  yourselves  make  applica¬ 
tion  for  strength  to  lead  a  Christian  life ;  and  that  what¬ 
ever  conformity  to  the  will  of  God  they  see  in  your 
own  behavior  towards  themselves  or  others,  is  wholly 
owing,  not  to  any  goodness  of  yours,  but  to  the  grace 
of  God  which  is  in  you. 

Other  methods  of  forming  their  children  after  the 
Scripture  model  may  be  used  by  parents,  who  have 
much  leisure  and  a  good  understanding,  when  their 
offspring  grow  up  to  a  state  of  manhood.  At  this  sea¬ 
son  of  life  it  will  be  of  excellent  use  to  inform  them 
that  the  unhappy  creatures,  whose  crimes  are  made 
public,  and  whose  persons  are  doomed  to  an  ignomini¬ 
ous  death,  were  very  early  the  despisers  of  God’s  word, 
his  Son  and  his  grace;  wherefore  they  were  left  to 
themselves,  and  their  sin  soon  grew  to  such  a  horrid 
size.  Help  them  to  trace  the  gay  pleasure-loving  young 
woman  from  her  first  contempt  of  serious  godliness  and 
Scripture  to  the  loss  of  her  honor,  the  disgrace  of  her 
friends,  the  irreparable  ruin  of  her  character,  perhaps 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


299 


to  the  imbruing  her  hands  in  the  blood  of  her  own  off¬ 
spring.  Point  out  to  them  the  robber,  the  thief,  perhaps 
the  assassin — in  the  young  man  of  spirit,  infected  with 
the  plague  of  uncleanness,  the  love  of  gaming,  or  the 
proud  desire  of  appearing  above  his  circumstances. 
Mark  out  to  them  the  course  and  issue  of  ungovernable 
passion  and  revenge,  from  its  impatience  of  the  con¬ 
trol  of  God’s  word  and  the  meek  religion  of  Jesus,  till 
it  presents  itself  unmasked,  delivering  up  the  man  of 
sense,  of  education,  perhaps  of  noble  birth,  into  the 
hands  of  the  common  hangman.  It  is  your  duty,  in  this 
alarming  manner,  not  only  to  warn  your  children  against 
licentiousness,  extravagance,  passion  and  revenge;  but 
above  all  things,  to  labor  to  persuade  them  that  those 
persons,  and  those  alone  can  be  absolutely  safe  from 
the  tyranny  of  sin,  who  live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of 
God.  In  full  confirmation  of  this  truth,  your  own  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  world  will  enable  you  to  point  out  to  them 
many  examples,  where  fine  parts  are  utterly  disgraced, 
where  every  shining  accomplishment  which  nature  and 
education  can  give,  are  rendered  pernicious,  even  in  a 
high  degree,  by  an  union  with  unchastity  or  intempe¬ 
rance,  avarice,  or  a  proud  impatient  spirit ;  which  abo¬ 
minable  tempers,  be  most  careful  to  assure  your  off¬ 
spring,  maintain  their  tyranny,  because  the  principles 
of  the  Gospel  and  the  truths  of  God  are  set  at  nought, 
tell  them  that  the  Christian  alone  is  freed  from  the  do¬ 
minion  of  sin.  This  will  gradually  inspire  them  with 
the  highest  veneration  for  the  knowledge  of  God  in  his 
word  and  Son,  as  the  only  bulwark  (which  in  fact  it 
is)  against  all  the  wickedness  of  the  human  heart :  be¬ 
cause  only  a  knowledge  of  Christ  and  a  belief  in  the 
Bible  can  ereate  a  jealousy  of  the  first  workings  of  cor¬ 
ruption,  and  excite  a  fervent  application  to  God  for 
power  to  control  and  subdue  it* 

The  last  method  of  instruction  I  shall  mention,  wh  ’ch 


300 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


is  of  equal  benefit  with  those  already  stated,  is  to  re 
mark  to  your  children,  now  capable  of  observation,  the 
amiable  behavior  of  real  Christians.  I  suppose  you  to  be 
acquainted  with  some  who  justify  their  title  to  this  glo¬ 
rious  appellation.  Remark  the  tranquillity  of  their  coun¬ 
tenance  and  the  modesty  of  their  conversation  ;  observe 
how  free  they  are  from  passion  and  positiveness,  from 
ill-natured  wit  or  ostentation ;  how  far  from  despising 
those  who  want  their  advantages,  either  of  education, 
birth,  or  riches ;  how  careful  to  give  no  pain  or  uneasi¬ 
ness  to  any  one.  In>  further  commendation  of  true  Chris¬ 
tianity,  it  will  be  of  peculiar  benefit  to  let  your  children, 
when  grown  up,  see  the  behavior  of  sincere  believers 
in  the  midst  of  their  severest  trials.  If  you  are  a  Chris¬ 
tian  yourself  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  it  is  most  probable 
you  will  know  persons  of  the  same  character.  When 
they  are  in  affliction  or  tribulation  of  any  kind,  carry 
your  children  to  hear  for  themselves  the  meek,  patient 
sufferers  blessing  God  for  all  their  afflictions  :  not  faint- 
ing  nor  discouraged,  but  quietly  enduring  chastisement. 
Their  discourse,  their  very  countenance  will  edify.  This 
will  irresistibly  convince  them  of  the  value  and  sub¬ 
stance  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  open  their  eyes 
to  see  that  it  is  as  much  to  be  desired  for  present  sup¬ 
port  and  consolation  in  a  trying  hour,  as  to  secure  sal¬ 
vation  in  the  eternal  world.  Then  assure  them  that  true 
faith  in  Jesus,  showing  itself  in  unfeigned  subjection  to 
his  Gospel,  leads  all  to  the  same  blessed  acquaintance 
with  God,  and  cheerful  submission  to  his  holy  will. 

And  if  an  opportunity  could  be  found  of  bringing  your 
son  or  daughter  to  the  bed-side  of  a  departing  saint,  it 
will  infinitely  exceed  the  force  of  all  instruction,  to  let 
them  see  with  their  own  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  own 
ears,  the  faithful  servant  of  God  speaking  good  of  his 
name,  declaring  how  true  the  Lord  his  strength  is,  pro¬ 
claiming  the  peace  of  his  own  mind  under  the  pains  of 


INSTRUCTING  CHILDREN. 


301 


approaching  dissolution,  whilst  he  is  looking  for  the 
mercy  of  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto 
eternal  life. 

Persons  of  rank,  or  of  easy  fortune ;  those  also  of  the 
ministerial,  and  various  other  professions,  with  mer¬ 
chants,  and  tradesmen  of  wealth,  have  opportunity  of 
using  these  and  many  other  methods  of  the  same  kind 
with  their  dear  children  before  they  arrive  at  man’s 
estate.  And  if  in  their  own  hearts  they  infinitely  prefer 
the  favor  of  God  before  the  praise  of  men,  the  happi¬ 
ness  of  eternity  before  the  poor  satisfaction  of  time — 
if  they  know  there  is  no  other  wray  of  salvation  for  their 
offspring  than  that  which  is  marked  out  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  in  his  word,  then  such  attention  to  the  everlast¬ 
ing  welfare  of  their  children  will  not  be  irksome  but 
delightful.  Their  reward,  generally  speaking,  will  be 
"  with  them”  in  their  labors  of  love,  and  their  hearts 
gladdened  by  seeing  considerable  impressions  made 
upon  their  children. 

But  if  instead  of  this  attention,  custom  and  fashion 
are  taken  for  the  rule  and  measure  of  what  you,  O  pa¬ 
rents,  will  account  a  sufficient  care  of  your  children’s 
education:  if  hours  upon  hours,  from  day  to  day,  are 
consumed  in  amusements  and  mere  sensual  gratifica¬ 
tion,  hurtful  to  yourselves  and  others,  whilst  your  chil¬ 
dren  hear  from  you  no  wholesome  lectures,  and  see  in 
you  no  prevailing  concern  for  the  honor  of  God  and  the 
salvation  of  their  souls,  your  conduct  is  dreadful  in¬ 
deed  :  your  regard  to  Scripture  is  worthless,  whatever 
you  profess ;  and  your  ignorance  of  the  excellency  of 
God,  and  the  only  way  of  true  happiness  as  gross  as 
that  of  an  Indian  savage.  Examine,  therefore,  and  prove 
your  Christian  faith  by  your  works.  The  care  you  take 
for  the  salvation  of  your  offspring  or  your  neglect  of 
them,  is  the  surest  test  of  what  you  esteem  your  su 
preme  good, — God  or  the  world. 


302 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


I  shall  only  add  farther  on  this  head  of  the  duty  of 
Christian  parents  towards  their  children,  that  it  is  ab¬ 
solutely  necessary  that  the  pains  to  instruct  should  be 
accompanied  by  constant  prayer  to  God  in  their  behalf. 
Without  his  grace  their  best  concerted  efforts  will  he 
ineffectual,  and  all  their  counsels  vain;  for  it  is  God 
who  giveth  the  increase.  You  may  take  as  much  pains 
as  it  is  possible  to  make  your  offspring  Christians  alto¬ 
gether;  but  still  those  who  receive  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  flesh,  nor  of 
the  will  of  man,  but  of  God.  Therefore  you  are  the 
more  earnestly,  humbly,  and  incessantly  to  pray  unto 
God  to  implant  early  in  them  his  grace,  and  give  power 
and  success  to  your  attempts ;  that  as  by  them  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  world  are  increased,  an  addition  also 
may  be  made  by  their  names  to  the  church  of  the  living 
God  and  the  inhabitants  of  heaven. 


THE  DUTY  OF  CHILDREN. 


303 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


REE.ITIV* E  DUTIES,  -  continued. 


OF  CHILDREN,  SERVANTS,  AND  MASTERS. 

* 

H  aving  considered  the  domestic  duties  of  husbands 
and  wives  to  each  other,  and  of  parents  towards  their 
children ;  it  remains  now  that  we  complete  those  which 
concern  a  family,  by  stating  such  as  relate  to  children, 
to  servants,  and  to  masters. 

The  duty  of  children  towards  their  parents  is, 

1.  To  honor  them  by  respectful  language  ;  by  ab¬ 
staining  from  every  thing  that  may  reasonably  give 
them  the  least  offence  or  disquiet.  All  young  people 
who  receive  the  Scripture  as  the  rule  of  their  behavior 
will  esteem  it  their  duty  to  be  exact  and  conscientious 
in  this  respect :  because  in  the  Scripture  God  requires 
children  to  honor  their  father  and  mother,  promising 
his  blessing  to  all  who  do  so.  This  homage  is  expressly 
said  to  be  "  well-pleasing  unto  the  Lord.”  Col.  3  :  20. 
The  crime  of  disobedience  to  parents  is  marked  as  the 
just  object  of  the  curse  and  judgments  of  God:  for 
vou  read  that  immediately  after  the  prohibition  of  idol- 
\try,  a  sin  levelled  directly  against  the  glory  of  God 
nimself,  and  after  appointing  all  Israel  to  pronounce 
the  idolater  accursed the  very  next  offence,  which  at 
the  same  time  is  held  forth  as  the  object  of  universal 
execration,  is  the  neglect  of  paying  a  dutiful  regard  to 
parents :  ”  Cursed  be  he  that  setteth  light  by  his  father 
or  mother,  and  all  the  people  shall  say  Amen.”  Dent. 
27  :  16.  And  in  case  any  child  was  "stubborn  and  re¬ 
bellious,”  refusing  to  obey  the  voice  of  his  father,  or  of 


304 


COMPLETE  DU TV  OF  MAN. 


his  mother,  after  correction ;  it  was  the  special  appoint¬ 
ment  of  the  Most  High  God,  that  his  father  and  his 
mother  should  ”  lay  hold  on  him,  and  bring  him  out 
unto  the  elders  of  his  city,  and  unto  the  gate  of  his 
place  ;  and  they  were  to  say  unto  the  elders  of  his 
city,  This  our  son  is  stubborn  and  rebellious,  he  will 
not  obey  our  voice  ;  he  is  a  glutton  and  a  drunkard 
And  all  the  men  of  his  city  shall  stone  him  with  stones, 
that  he  die :  so  shalt  thou  put  evil  away  from  among 
you  ;  and  all  Israel  shall  hear  and  fear.”  Deut.  21 :  18-21 

What  strong  conceptions  of  the  great  guilt  of  dis¬ 
obedience  to  parents,  must  this  ordinance  raise  in  the 
minds  of  all  who  regard  the  word  of  Godl  For  though 
this  civil  and  political  law  is  not  now  in  force  against 
rebellious  children,  it  remains  still  a  sufficient  proof  of 
the  detestation  with  which  God  regards  the  disobedi¬ 
ence  of  children  towards  their  parents. 

2.  It  -is  the  duty  of  children  to  conceal  and  extenuate 
the  imperfections  of  their  parents,  so  far  as  truth  and 
justice  will  admit.  This  is  but  a  small  return  for  the 
great  benefits  which  they  have  received  ;  and  if,  instead 
of  thus  acting  tenderly,  they  join  in  reproaching  their 
parents,  in  exposing  voluntarily  either  their  sins  or 
their  indiscretions,  they  are  very  criminal  in  the  sight 
of  God.  It  was  the  sin  of  publishing  and  ridiculing, 
instead  of  covering-  his  father’s  shame,  which  brought 
down  a  signal  judgment  upon  Ham,  the  son  of  the  righ¬ 
teous  Noah. 

3.  It  is  the  duty  of  children  to  requite  their  parents, 
as  far  as  lies  in  their  power,  for  all  the  comforts  and 
benefits  by  their  means  bestowed  upon  them.  Ingrati 
tude  is  the  only  sin  which  never  found  one  single  advo¬ 
cate:  yet  of  all  ingratitude,  the  negligence  of  children 
in  supporting  and  comforting  their  parents,  is  by  far  the 
most  black  and  abominable  that  can  be  practised  by 
man  towards  man.  For  what  care  and  expense,  what 


THE  DUTY  OF  CHILDREN. 


305 


solicimde  and  labor  for  the  welfare  of  their  offspring 
are  not  parents  usually  wont  cheerfully  to  bear  1  Now 
when,  in  the  course  of  God’s  providence,  parents  stand 
in  need  of  some  returns  of  the  same  tender  disposition 
towards  themselves — when  the  infirmities  of  age,  or  the 
burden  of  affliction  come  upon  them,  what  child,  that  is 
not  without  feeling,  as  well  as  without  any  tincture  of 
Christianity,  but  must  rejoice  to  be  as  helpful  to  them, 
now  going  out  of  the  world,  as  his  parents  were  to 
himself  when  he  first  came  into  it  1  This  exercise  of 
gratitude  is  marked  in  Scripture  as  the  bounden  duty 
of  children  towards  their  parents,  and  a  neglect  of  it  is 
considered  not  only  as  a  renunciation  of  the  Gospel, 
whatever  zealous  professions  of  love  for  it  may  be  pre¬ 
tended  ;  but  as  a  crime,  which  even  pagans,  void  of  the 
light  and  advantage  of  God’s  word,  would  many  of  them 
abhor.  "  If  any  provide  not  for  his  own,”  (his  own  near 
relations,  and  especially  his  own  aged  parents,)  "he 
hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel.” 
1  Tim.  5  :  8. 

The  exact  proportion,  indeed,  which  a  child  ought  to 
set  apart  for  the  discharge  of  this  duty  to  his  parents, 
must  be  various  according  to  the  condition  of  life.  But 
if  it  be  inadequate  to  the  income  of  the  child,  God  will 
regard  it  as  a  vile  and  despicable  offering.  And  this 
rule  may  always  be  observed,  that  if  a  child  can  be  la¬ 
vish  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  live  in  expensive 
splendor,  whilst  he  is  satisfied  with  assigning  to  his 
parents  a  strait  and  bare  subsistence,  a  sense  of  duty  is 
certainly  not  felt ;  and  what  is  given,  is  given  rather 
from  a  fear  of  scandal,  or  from  dread  of  remorse,  than 
from  love  to  God,  or  affection  to  his  own  parents. 

4.  The  last  duty  I  shall  mention  due  from  children 
to  their  parents  is  obedience ;  obedience  in  all  cases 
which  lie  within  the  proper  scope  and  influence  of  the 
authority  of  parents ;  where  their  commands  do  not 


306 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


lead  their  children  to  oppose  what  God  has  required, 
to  do  violence  in  matters  of  conscience  to  their  own 
minds,  or  to  transgress  the  laws  of  their  country. 

These  are  the  duties  which  children  are  oound,  from 
their  relation  to  their  parents,  to  observe.  And  those 
children  who  obey  the  Scripture  will  be  found  dutiful 
and  affectionate,  and  very  observant  of  these  things 
Indeed,  those  parents  who  are  neglected  or  despised  by 
their  children,  may  generally  impute  it  to  themselves. 
It  is  the  effect  and  punishment  of  their  own  sin.  They 
fostered,  when  they  should  have  corrected  wicked  tem¬ 
pers,  in  their  children’s  earliest  years;  they  shamefully 
sacrificed  parental  authority  to  a  froward  mind;  and  ab¬ 
jectly  submitted  to  be  governed  by  those  over  whom 
they  were  appointed  governors,  in  the  order  of  nature, 
and  by  the  command  of  God.  Or  where  this  most  fool¬ 
ish  and  cruel  fondness  has  not  been  the  cause  of  unduti¬ 
fulness  to  parents,  a  profane  education,  in  ignorance  of 
Christian  principles,  often  has  ;  for  this  encourages  a 
proud,  independent  spirit,  which,  as  it  fears  not  God, 
will  not  pay  reverence  to  man,  neither  feeling  obliga¬ 
tion  nor  bearing  restraint.  Excepting,  therefore,  a  few 
cases,  Christian  parents,  through  the  grace  of  God  pros¬ 
pering  their  endeavors,  will  reap  as  they  have  sown ; 
and  enjoy,  even  before  they  leave  this  world,  the  fruit 
of  those  cares  and  pains  with  which  they  have  studied 
to  promote  the  salvation  of  their  children,  and  will 
often  die  in  the  pleasing  expectation  of  meeting  them 
in  endless  glory. 

There  is  still  another  domestic  relation,  namely  that 
which  subsists  between  masters  and  servants.  And  the 
believer  in  Jesus  is  furnished  with  ample  directions  and 
cogent  motives  to  discharge  his  duty  in  either  station 
with  comfort  to  himself  and  those  around  him. 

Servants,  who  receive  the  word  of  God,  must  in  the 


THE  DUTY  OF  SERVANTS. 


307 


first  place  be  faithful  and  honest ,  free  themselves  from 
deceit,  and  incapable  of  suffering  their  masters  to  be 
injured  in  their  sight.  This  has  been  observed  in  a  pre¬ 
ceding  chapter,  as  part  of  their  character  as  Christians. 
Besides  this,  they  must  obey  their  masters  without  that 
surly,  sullen  behavior  which  renders  their  persons  offen¬ 
sive  and  their  services  disagreeable.  It  is  ever  a  sure 
proof  of  prevailing  pride,  when  subjection,  though  ever 
so  reasonable,  is  galling.  They  must  obey  their  mas¬ 
ters  in  all  things,  provided  that  nothing  is  required  op¬ 
pressive  or  dishonest.  A  surly  spirit  in  servants  chiefly 
shows  itself  in  families  where  the  lucre  of  the  place  is 
comparatively  small,  and  the  servant  is  wanted  not  for 
show  or  luxury  of  living,  but  for  usefulness  and  labor. 
It  is  in  these  instances  therefore,  especially,  that  the  be¬ 
neficial  influence  of  Christian  doctrine  is  to  manifest 
itself  in  the  behavior  of  servants.  Christian  servants 
will  remember  that  their  duty  towards  their  master  or 
mistress  is  not  to  be  measured  by  the  splendor  of  the 
family  or  the  gains  of  the  place,  but  by  the  order'of 
God,  who  requires  them  "  with  good  will  to  do  service, 
as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  men.”  Ephes.  6  :  7,  and 
Col.  3  :  22. 

2.  It  is  the  duty  of  servants  patiently  to  bear  reproof. 
The  pride  of  human  nature  rises  with  eagerness  in  self¬ 
vindication,  and  is  backward  to  own  itself  deserving  of 
any  blame.  From  this  spirit  servants  are  ever  apt  to 
impute  the  admonitions  they  receive  to  ill-nature  or 
peevishness  in  their  superiors )  and  if  they  bear  with¬ 
out  a  visible  contempt  what  is  said,  they  look  upon 
themselves  at  liberty  to  pay  no  more  regard  to  it  than 
is  necessary  to  keep  their  place  if  it  be  a  profitable  one. 
But  no  servant  who  receives  the  word  of  God  can  act 
in  this  unreasonable  manner.  It  is  expressly  required 
of  them  "  to  adorn  the  Gospel  of  God  our  Savior  in  all 
things  j”  but  if  they  show  themselves  deaf  to  just 


308 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


admonition,  and  hardened  against  reasonable  remon 
strances,  they  utterly  disgrace  their  holy  profession, 
and  make  their  religious  pretences  contemptible.  Be 
sides,  if  they  are  not  ready  to  acknowledge  their  faults, 
and  will  not  patiently  bear  to  be  reproved  for  them, 
they  must  be  void  of  humility,  without  which  no  man 
can  possibly  belong  to  Christ ;  since  this  is  the  direc¬ 
tion  particularly  given  to  them  in  Scripture,  "  to  be 
obedient  unto  their  own  masters,  and  to  please  them 
well  in  all  things;  not  answering  again.”  Titus,  2:9. 

And  as  servants  who  regard  their  Christian  duty  must 
be  faithful  and  just  to  their  masters,  must  obey  them 
with  cheerfulness,  receive  their  reproofs  with  meek¬ 
ness,  and  be  careful  to  amend  what  is  faulty ;  so  must 
masters  who  are  in  subjection  to  Christ  conscientiously 
perform  all  parts  of  their  duty  towards  their  servants. 

1.  With  respect  to  the  justice,  the  mildness,  the 
gentleness,  and  real  good-will  which  masters  must  ex¬ 
ercise  towards  their  servants,  these  tempers  were  men¬ 
tioned  before  as  necessary  to  every  Christian.  I  shall 
speak  now,  therefore,  only  of  those  duties  which  are 
peculiar  to  those  who  preside  in  families.  The  first  of 
which  is,  to  be  careful  of  the  behavior  of  their  servants. 
The  head  of  every  family  is  obliged  to  watch  over  those 
who  are  subject  to  his  authority.  We  blame  magistrates 
when  they  suffer  irreligion  and  dissoluteness  of  man¬ 
ners  among  the  people.  And  can  masters  of  families  be 
guiltless  who  connive  at  domestic  irregularities,  when 
with  far  less  difficulty  they  might  govern  their  little 
commonwealth!  They  ought,  therefore,  to  look  upon 
their  servants,  not  as  they  do  upon  their  cattle,  merely 
considering  the  labor  and  service  they  can  do,  but  a? 
fellow-creatures  capable  of  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
as  candidates  equally  with  themselves  for  his  eternal 
kingdom.  In  this  view  it  is  their  duty,  and  a  part  of 


THE  DUTY  OF  SERVANTS. 


309 


Christian  benevolence,  to  suffer  no  immorality,  nor  any 
open  violation  of  God’s  holy  law  in  them — to  oblige 
their  servants  to  a  regular  attendance  on  the  public 
worship  of  God  on  the  Lord’s  day,  and  to  insist  on  the:r 
not  profaning  it — to  put  books  into  their  hands,  written 
to  awaken  the  conscience,  and  bring  them  to  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  Christ — and,  if  the  nature  of  business  does  not 
in  fact  render  it  impracticable,  to  call  the  members  of 
the  household  to  join  in  the  daily  worship  of  God,  who 
is  the  fountain  of  all  family  mercies  and  blessings. 

2.  It  is  the  duty  of  those  who  preside  in  a  family,  to 
set  a  Christian  example  to  servants  ;  to  be  constant  in  wor¬ 
shipping  God  on  his  own  day  at  church,  and  religious¬ 
ly  to  abstain  in  it  from  both  business  and  diversion — to 
convince  them  that  you  act  honestly,  as  in  the  sight  of 
God,  in  all  your  dealings — to  show  them  that  you  are 
innocent  of  those  common  yet  presumptuous  sins,  of 
speaking  loosely,  swearing  profanely,  and  living  without 
any  secret  worship  of  God.  By  this  example,  as  far  as 
means  alone  can  be  effectual,  you  will  restrain  from 
much  evil,  and  prove  a  powerful  monitor  to  stir  up 
ignorant  sinful  creatures  to  seek  after  God ;  at  least 
you  will  be  pure  from  their  blood  if  they  obstinately 
persist  in  their  sin. 

3.  The  last  duty  of  masters  which  I  shall  mention,  is 
to  encourage  and  reward  their  servants  for  well-doing. 
Kind  expressions  quicken  ingenuous  minds  to  diligence 
and  attention ;  encouragement,  therefore,  ought  to  be 
given  on  this  principle.  Further,  when  a  servant  has 
laid  out  his  whole  time  and  strength  in  his  master’s  ser¬ 
vice,  and  made  it  his  study  to  consult  his  interest  j  the 
master  is  bound,  by  the  ties  of  justice  and  gratitude, 
where  there  is  a  sufficient  fortune,  to  remember  such  a 
faithful  servant  in  the  decline  of  life.  And  the  cases  of 
sickness,  or  accidental  loss  of  limbs  in  service,  which 
disable  from  labor,  and  are  sometimes  even  more  cala- 


310 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


mitous  than  the  infirmities  of  old  age,  call  for  equal 
compassion.  A  Christian  master  will  consider  how  much 
others  have  lost  by  the  dishonesty  of  those  about  them  ; 
how  much  trouble,  anxiety  and  vexation  they  have  suf¬ 
fered,  whilst  he  has  committed,  with  composure  and 
confidence,  his  affairs  into  the  hands  of  a  good  and  faith¬ 
ful  servant,  and  has  received  no  damage ; — how  much 
of  his  comfort  in  this  life  has  been  owing  to  this  ma¬ 
terial  circumstance.  Where  then  would  be  his  Chris¬ 
tian  love,  his  generosity,  or  his  humanity,  if  he  did  not 
take  pleasure  in  showing  kindness  in  return  1 

Thus  having  pointed  out  the  several  duties  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  in  his  domestic  relations,  I  will  conclude  the  sub¬ 
ject  with  a  faithful  picture  of  the  good  order  of  a  family, 
in  which  each  member  conscientiously  discharges  the 
duty  of  his  station,  as  every  real  Christian  will  desire 
and  strive  to  do. 

Look  at  those  who  preside  in  it !  they  love,  and  are 
cordially  beloved  by  each  other ;  they  both,  with  true 
benevolence,  watch  over  their  children,  ambitious  to 
educate  them  for  immortality ;  they  therefore  discoun¬ 
tenance  every  thing  wrong  and  corrupt,  at  its  first  ap¬ 
pearance.  Both,  with  impartial  affection  for  their  whole 
offspring,  gladly  give  them  every  innocent  gratification, 
every  liberty  and  joy,  which  innocence  and  safety  will 
permit.  Look  upon  their  children  !  what  respect,  what 
affiance  toward  their  parents,  what  pleasure  in  their 
company,  what  cheerful  obedience  to  their  authority! 
Look  upon  the  servants !  faithful  to  their  office,  and 
prudent  in  their  deportment,  they  are  treated  with  re¬ 
spect.  Whilst  parents,  children  and  servants  meet  to¬ 
gether  each  day  with  one  heart  to  magnify  the  name 
of  God,  and  to  confess  that  it  is  he  who  maketh  them 
that  dwell  together  in  one  house  to  be  thus  united  and 
harmonious.  Whilst  all  are  looking  forward  according 


INTEMPERANCE. 


3  LI 


w)  the  strength  of  their  faith,  to  the  place  which  Jesus 
is  gone  before  to  prepare  for  them,  where,  without  and 
further  trials  or  any  remainder  of  corruption,  they  shall 
dwell  together  in  love  and  in  sinless  perfection.  The 
age  in  which  we  live  is  not  void  of  some  such  families; 
and  it  is  only  the  neglect  of  the  Bible,  and  the  low 
notions  of  modern  Christianity,  which  make  them  so 
scarce,  and  prevent  innumerable  individuals  from  be¬ 
coming  subject  to  the  power  and  grace  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  enjoying  that  peace  in  him  which  passeth  all  un¬ 
derstanding. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

OF  SFFF-DFJI'I.l  X, 

INTEMPERANCE. 

False  teachers  court  the  favor  of  men  by  preaching 
to  them  flattering  doctrines ;  but  Jesus,  the  true  witness, 
abhors  such  base  compliance  with  our  corrupt  passions. 
He  places  therefore  in  the  very  front,  as  it  were,  of  his 
camp,  before  the  eyes  of  every  one  assaying  to  enter 
into  his  service,  this  searching  test  of  courage  and  fideli¬ 
ty  :  "  Except  a  man  deny  himself ‘  and  take  up  his  cross 
daily,  and  follow  me,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple.” 

No  doubt  then  can  be  made,  whether  self-denial  is 
the  duty  of  a  real  Christian.  But  what  the  ground  of  this 
grace  is,  and  what  are  the  important  particulars  in  which 
it  is  exercised,  are  points  of  very  useful  and  necessary 
consideration.  The  more  so,  because  superstition  has 


312 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


long  done  much  to  make  this  doctrine  contemptible, 
and  enthusiasm  is  ever  ready  to  place  self-denial  in 
things  absurd  or  frivolous,  whilst  the  substantial  mat¬ 
ters,  about  which  in  reality  it  is  concerned,  are  little 
regarded.  Each  of  these  points,  therefore,  I  purpose  to 
discuss.  Thus  every  duty  respecting  himself,  which 
the  Christian  is  obliged  and  enabled  to  discharge,  may 
be  sufficiently  explained.  >. 

The  origin  of  self-denial  is  to  be  traced  to  the  cor¬ 
ruption  of  our  nature  by  the  fall  of  Adam.  If  there 
were  no  innate  propensity  in  all  his  offspring  to  evil, 
we  might,  then,  indeed  have  been  warned  not  to  debase 
our  dignity  by  complying  with  iniquity ;  but  supposing 
that  we  possessed  an  untainted  purity  of  nature,  so  far 
would  the  abstaining  from  sin  be  from  deserving  the 
name  of  self-denial,  that  it  would  be  the  highest  self¬ 
gratification.  In  this  case  a  total  opposition  to  trans¬ 
gression  of  every  kind  would  be  perfectly  undisturbed 
by  any  thing  within  of  a  contrary  tendency.  The  na¬ 
tive  bent  of  the  soul  would  then  incline  it  with  all  its 
power,  and  with  the  highest  relish,  to  perform  duty  in 
its  full  extent.  This  we  necessarily  conceive  to  be  the 
state  with  those  angels  who  are  sent  forth  to  minister 
to  them  that  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,  and  who  con¬ 
sequently  must  be  witnesses  of  what  passes  in  our 
world.  For  to  connect  the  idea  of  self-denial  with 
their  abstaining  from  the  pollutions  of  which  they  are 
spectators,  would  be  to  destroy  the  very  perfection 
of  their  state. 

But  the  present  condition  of  man  is  directly  opposite 
to  that  of  superior  beings  who  never  fell  from  God.  A 
corrupt  bias  prevails  in  his  heart,  which  instead  of  ap¬ 
pearing  to  him  detestable,  as  it  ought,  is  loved  and  che¬ 
rished  ;  so  loved,  that  to  be  deaf  to  its  tender  pleadings 
for  indulgence,  and  to  sacrifice  it  in  obedience  to  God, 
is  compared  by  him  who  knew  what  was  in  man,  to  cut 


INTEMPERANCE 


313 


ting  off  a  right  hand  and  plucking  out  a  right  eye.  For 
though  happiness  is  in  fact  inseparable  from  an  uniform 
subjection  to  the  truth  of  God,  yet  our  corruptions  re¬ 
present  these  as  things  distinct,  and  even  incompatible. 
Hence  men  naturally  fight  against  the  prohibition  of 
God  for  their  favorite  selfish  enjoyments,  as  subjects  for 
their  native  rights  against  a  tyrant :  nor  can  they  ever 
submit  to  it  without  doing  violence  to  their  own  de 
praved  appetites. 

This  being  our  natural  state,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
assures  us  in  the  most  unreserved  manner,  that,  if  we 
ever  become  partakers  of  his  great  salvation,  we  must 
not  only  oppose  the  prevalent  wickedness  of  the  world 
around  us,  but  those  very  inclinations  too  which  are 
interwoven  with  our  present  frame,  and  therefore  may 
properly  be  called  a  part  of  ourselves. 

Having  thus  briefly  observed  what  is  the  origin  of 
self-denial,  I  proceed  to  point  out  the  particulars  in 
which  this  grace  is  to  be  exercised.  Now  as  our  na¬ 
tural  dispositions  make  that  an  instance  to  some  of 
great  self-denial,  which  is  scarcely  any  to  others ;  as 
there  are  cases  also,  where  decency,  reputation  and 
worldly  interest  create  and  maintain  a  kind  of  self-de¬ 
nial;  and  other  instances,  in  which  the  power  of  Chris¬ 
tian  godliness  only  is  sufficient ;  I  shall,  therefore,  be¬ 
gin  with  such  instances  of  it  as,  generally  speaking,  are 
most  easy  to  practise,  and  then  ascend  to  those  in 
which  the  sincerity  and  eminence  of  Christian  self-de¬ 
nial  shines  forth,  and  most  redounds  to  the  honor  of  God. 

First  then,  Temperance  with  respect  to  our  food,  is  not 
to  he  practised  without  self-denial.  Few,  indeed,  find 
much  difficulty  in  abstaining  so  far  from  this  bodily  in¬ 
dulgence  as  to  escape  the  censure  of  gluttony  or  epi¬ 
curism  ;  yet  to  be  so  abstemious  with  regard  to  the 
pleasures  of  the  table  as  not  to  infringe  upon  the  grace 
of  Christian  temperance,  calls  for  some  mortification  in 

14. 


Dutv  of  Mau. 


314 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN 


most  people,  and  in  many  for  a  great  deal.  Without 
practising  this  we  shall  be  often  guilty  of  being  "over¬ 
charged  with  surfeiting,”  so  far  at  least  that  our  desire 
after  eternal  blessings  and  our  delight  in  them  shall  be 
greatly  abated,  if  not  extinguished  for  a  time.  With  a 
reputation  for  temperance,  we  may  indulge  at  our  table 
till  indolence  takes  full  possession  of  us,  till  neither 
body  nor  mind  are  disposed  for  any  rational,  much  less 
any  spiritual  employment.  To  the  want  of  self-denial, 
in  respect  to  this  low  appetite,  is  owing  that  strong  un¬ 
easiness  and  vexation  often  discovered,  though  more 
frequently  concealed,  when  the  gratification  of  the  pa¬ 
late  in  the  parlor  is  disappointed  by  ignorance  or  ne¬ 
glect  in  the  kitchen ;  to  this  are  owing  the  many  sen¬ 
sual  remarks  made  in  conversation,  upon  what  deserves 
no  more  notice  than  the  husks  the  swine  devour.  These 
things,  so  frequently  occurring,  are  sufficient  proofs 
that  there  is  need  of  self-denial  even  with  respect  to 
our  food.  Indeed,  he  that  receives  any  other  pleasures 
than  what  health  and  hunger  will  make  the  common 
provisions  of  his  table  afford,  has  already  begun  to  yield 
to  intemperance,  and  is  a  transgressor  of  his  Christian 
duty.  He  is  shamefully  giving  encouragement  to  an 
appetite  which  must  exceedingly  sensualize  his  soul, 
enthral  it  to  bodily  gratification,  and  of  consequence 
render  it  averse  to  suffering  in  any  degree  for  the  sake 
of  truth  and  conscience.  So  that  those  who  allow  them¬ 
selves  to  eat  immoderately,  and  permit  their  thoughts 
to  dwell  with  delight  on  the  luxury  of  the  palate,  are 
so  far  from  taking  heed,  as  Christians  are  required,  to 
"  make  no  provision  for  the  flesh,”  that  they  are  evi¬ 
dently  pampering  it :  so  far  from  being  temperate,  as  is 
absolutely  necessary  for  all  who  run  the  race  Christ  has 
set  before  us,  that  they  remain  slaves  to  sensuality 
None  are  capable  of  relishing,  much  less  of  making  a 
progress  in  any  thing  so  spiritual  and  divine  as  chris- 


INTEMPERANCE. 


315 


tianity,  till,  in  the  language  of  holy  writ,  they  "put  a 
knife  to  the  throat”  when  dainties  are  set  before  them: 
that  is,  strike  at  the  root  of  that  carnal  gratification 
which  arises  merely  from  the  pleasure  of  feasting. 

A  second  instance  of  self-denial  included  under  the 
head  of  temperance  is,  the  strictly  avoiding  any  degree 
of  excess  in  drinking.  It  is  necessary  to  speak  distinctly 
on  this  subject,  because,  to  the  reproach  of  our  species, 
self-indulgence  in  this  respect  is  by  many  placed  in  the 
number  only  of  venial  infirmities,  and  amongst  the  slight 
misdemeanors,  for  which  other  good  qualities  will  amply 
atone. 

To  prove,  therefore,  the  absolute  necessity  of  self-de¬ 
nial,  with  respect  to  this  sin,  consider  what  provocation 
it  bears  !  It  is  a  waste  of  that  plenty  which  God  design¬ 
ed  to  supply  the  wants  of  mankind.  Now  what  can  you 
conceive  more  contrary  to  reason,  to  humanity,  and  to 
the  Providence  of  our  common  Father,  than  that  one 
man  should  be  inflaming  his  body  with  pernicious 
draughts  even  to  excess,  whilst  another  wants  the  very 
necessaries  of  life  1  that  one  should  be  swallowing  down 
his  poisonous  cups  in  riot,  the  expense  of  which,  if  pro¬ 
perly  applied,  would  support  the  languishing,  and  revive 
the  health  of  those  who  are  fainting  for  the  want  of  it  1 
Suppose  you  had  yourself  several  children  settled  in  some 
distant  province,  some  of  them  prosperous,  and  others, 
through  unavoidable  misfortune,  in  a  destitute  condi¬ 
tion  5  suppose  the  former  were  void  of  all  feeling,  giv¬ 
ing  themselves  up  to  rioting  and  excess,  refusing  to  re¬ 
trench  in  the  least  degree  in  order  to  relieve  their  neces¬ 
sitous  brethren,  what  mingled  grief  and  indignation 
would  the  report  of  this  raise  in  your  breast !  Yet  this 
is  the  very  case  in  the  eye  of  our  common  Father^ 
whenever  the  man,  who  has  riches,  consumes  upon  the 
extravagant  gratification  of  his  base  appetites  what 


316 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


might  have  been  applied  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  and 
needy.  Even  allowing  the  intemperate  man  to  have  the 
means,  and,  in  the  language  of  the  world,  liberty  to  live 
as  he  pleases,  still  his  conduct  is  chargeable  with  inhu¬ 
manity  and  cruelty  to  those  who  are  in  want  before  his 
eyes ;  or  who  are  at  least  so  near  him,  that  if  he  was 
not  wilfully  deaf  or  blind,  he  must  hear  their  groans  and 
see  their  distress. 

But  when  the  man  who  indulges  in  intemperance  and 
drunkenness  is  poor,  or  one  whose  business  or  income 
is  but  just  enough,  with  frugality,  to  support  himself  and 
his  family,  his  guilt  is  still  more  aggravated.  For  then, 
whilst  he  is  gratifying  himself,  and  rejoicing  in  his  cups, 
he  is  breaking  through  the  tenderest  ties  of  nature.  He 
is  stripping  his  children  of  that  which  is  necessary  to 
defend  them  from  the  cold  :  he  is  snatching  the  bread 
from  the  mouth  of  his  little  ones,  ready  to  famish  for 
want  of  food;  and  making  his  wife  suffer  to  extremity 
-for  his  sensuality.  Therefore,  though  his  besotted  com¬ 
panions  may  extol  him  for  his  honesty  and  good-nature, 
and  some  be  so  stupid  as  to  call  him  no  man’s  enemy 
but  his  own;  he  is,  in  the  eye  of  truth  and  of  God,  a 
monster  of  cruelty  and  villany.  The  Father  of  us  all  sees 
no  one  of  his  creatures  more  horridly  rebelling  against 
his  benevolent  laws,  or  more  injurious  to  those  who  are 
miserable  enough  to  be  in  close  connection  with  him, 
than  the  drunkard. 

Further,  we  owe  much  thankfulness  to  God  for  our 
reason.  By  this  we  become  capable  of  knowing  him  in 
his  word  and  works  here,  and  of  enjoying  him  for  ever 
hereafter.  We  are  happy  in  ourselves,  and  useful  to 
others,  just  in  proportion  as  our  reason  is  improved,  by 
the  due  exercise  and  cultivation  of  it,  through  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  Scripture  and  the  grace  of  God.  We  may 
therefore  safely  say,  that  one  of  the  sorest  evils  which 
can  befal  us  in  this  world,  is  the  loss  of  our  reason 


INTEMPERANCE. 


317 


What  guilt  then  must  be  chargeable  on  every  drunkard, 
who  presumptuously,  only  for  the  poor  pleasures  of 
gratifying  the  lowest  appetite  of  his  nature,  suspends 
the  use  and  exercise  of  his  reason,  who  reduces  himself 
to  such  a  state  that  he  knows  neither  what  he  does  nor 
what  he  says.  And  as  we  are  commanded  to  be  always 
on  our  guard  in  our  discourse,  and  warned  of  the  ac¬ 
count  we  must  give  of  it  to  God,  what  can  be  a  more 
audacious  offence  than  for  a  man  to  intoxicate  himself 
till  his  ”  mouth  poureth  out  foolishness;”  till  there  is 
nothing  so  filthy  or  so  blasphemous  he  will  not  utter. 

Besides,  it  is  our  duty  to  mortify  all  our  depraved  ap 
petites ,  and  to  bring  them  into  subjection  to  the  law  of 
God.  What  a  total  violation  of  this  comprehensive  ob¬ 
ligation  is  it,  to  strengthen,  by  intemperate  drinking, 
every  evil  propensity,  and  inflame  it  to  the  utmost ! 
Yet  this  is  the  certain  effect  of  this  sin.  It  provokes  to 
anger,  passion  and  quarrelling ;  it  begets  insolence  and 
increases  pride ;  it  not  only  often  separates  between  the 
greatest  friends,  but  hurries  them  into  duels  and  trans¬ 
ports  of  bloody  revenge  upon  each  other.  Licentious 
passions  it  also  inflames  beyond  measure,  and  gives 
them  unbridled  rage. 

Now,  so  shameful  a  violence  against  reason,  so  pro¬ 
voking  an  abuse  of  plenty,  so  daring  an  act  of  rebellion 
against  God,  must,  without  repentance,  certainly  ex¬ 
clude  every  one  guilty  of  it  from  any  share  in  God’s 
favor,  as  it  demonstrates  him  to  be  void  of  any  degree 
of  his  grace.  Accordingly  we  are  taught,  in  different 
yet  most  alarming  ways,  the  insupportable  doom  of 
drunkards,  and  of  those  who  inflame  themselves  with 
wine.  Drunkards  are  enumerated  in  the  black  catalogue 
of  transgressors,  who,  as  the  apostle  solemnly  declares 
to  the  Corinthians,  "  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God.”  1  Cor.  6  :  10.  Most  emphatically  is  described 
the  dreadful  end  of  this  self-indulgence  by  our  Savior : 


318 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


"  But  and  if  that  evil  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart,  my 
Lord  delayeth  his  coming ;  and  shall  begin  to  smite  his 
fellow-servants,  and  to  eat  and  drink  with  the  drunken; 
the  Lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day  when  he 
looketh  not  for  him,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  is  not  aware 
of,  and  shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  him  his  por¬ 
tion  with  the  hypocrites:  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.”  Matt.  24  :  48-51. 

Thus  not  only  the  train  of  present  evils  which  intem¬ 
perance  draws  after  it,  but  the  wages  of  this  shameful 
iniquity  in  the  eternal  world,  are  revealed  in  Scripture, 
to  alarm  the  conscience,  and  give  us  full  conviction  of 
the  sinfulness  of  this  common  sin :  so  that  either  we 
must  take  heed  and  beware  of  it,  or  give  up  all  reason¬ 
able  hope  of  salvation  and  the  favor  of  God.  The 
thought  of  losing  the  favor  of  God  is  worse  than 
death  to  every  one  who  truly  believes  the  Scripture ; 
every  Christian  therefore,  however  he  may  naturally 
incline  to  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks,  or  be  tempted 
to  it  by  company,  or  allured  to  it  by  a  hope  of  recom¬ 
mending  himself  to  his  worldly  advantage,  will  guard 
against  all  these  temptations,  and  persevere  in  an  invio¬ 
lable  regard  to  that  sobriety  and  abstinence  upon  which 
his  safety  so  much  depends. 


IMPURITY. 


319 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


SEJLF-DEJVI&Lt — con  Untied, 

IMPURITY. 

Man,  in  his  fallen  state,  is  so  constituted  that  there 
is  not  one  natural  passion,  however  useful  and  excel¬ 
lent  it  may  be  when  properly  regulated,  which  does 
not  become  an  occasion  of  sin,  and  require  to  be  re¬ 
sisted  and  mortified.  We  have  already  seen  how  much 
this  is  the  case  with  respect  to  the  appetite  for  food 
and  drink ;  the  natural  love  of  the  sexes  is  another  ex¬ 
ample  of  the  same  kind.  This  impulse,  though  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  propagation  of  mankind,  and  useful  in 
wedlock  to  several  excellent  ends,  will  prove  in  single 
persons,  unless  constantly  restrained,  a  seducer  of  the 
soul  into  much  sin,  and  the  cause  of  the  most  extensive 
evil.  At  its  instigation,  what  time,  what  talents,  what 
influence  are  daily  prostituted  to  the  shameful  business 
of  inveigling  and  debauching  young  women !  Men  of 
the  finest  sense  and  best  education,  for  the  poor  perish¬ 
ing  gratification  of  an  hour,  will  be  guilty  of.  what  is 
shocking  to  every  mind  that  retains  the  least  fear  of 
God,  or  compassion  for  its  fellow-creatures:  guilty 
of  bringing  a  heedless  virgin  to  indelible  shame,  her 
parents  to  grief  as  torturing  as  it  is  undeserved  and 
hopeless  ;  guilty  of  offering  the  ruined  individual  such 
an  injury,  as  if  done  to  a  sister,  a  daughter,  or  any  near 
relation  of  their  own,  they  would  revenge  with  the 
point  of  the  sword.  Instigated  by  lust,  they  will  be  ac¬ 
cessary  even  in  opening  the  way  to  adultery  and  all 
its  train  of  mischiefs ;  for  those  seldom  prove  chaste 


320 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


after  wedlock,  who  before  it  have  fallen  a  prey  to  lewd¬ 
ness  :  accessary,  as  far  as  lies  in  their  power,  in  filling 
the  world  with  a  class  of  individuals,  at  once  its  plague 
and  scourge  ;  creatures  abandoned  to  every  detestable 
practice,  corrupters  of  youth,  pushing  them  headlong 
into  desperate  courses,  as  the  price  of  their  infectious 
embraces. 

These  consequences,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  cer¬ 
tainly  follow  the  indulgence  of  this  vice.  But  bad  as 
these  consequences  are,  they  are  but  a  part  of  the  evil 
produced.  No  pen  is  able  fully  to  unfold  what  the  soul 
suffers  from  this  sin.  Where  any  sense  of  modesty  or 
of  duty  prevails,  it  is  instantly,  on  the  first  commission, 
punished  with  the  secret  stings  and  horrors  of  a  guilty 
mind.  By  frequent  repetition  of  the  crime,  all  sense  of 
religion  is  extinguished,  and  all  intercourse  with  God 
ceases.  Associations  with  those  who  are  hardened  in 
lewdness  are  sought  after  as  a  refuge  from  conscience : 
till  at  length  the  secret  offender  against  chastity  con¬ 
tracts  a  brow  of  brass,  and  becomes  an  infamous  plead¬ 
er  for  the  lust  of  concupiscence  ;  till,  in  one  word,  his 
conscience  is  seared,  the  captive  hugs  his  chains,  and 
glories  in  his  shame. 

Add  to  this  catalogue  of  dreadful  evils  the  bloody 
quarrels  amongst  the  lewd,  and  the  murders  which  they 
are  led  -to  commit;  murder  of  children  yet  unborn, 
loading  the  mind  with  guilt,  and  embittering  life  be¬ 
yond  conception ;  murder  often  of  the  new-born  babe, 
which  the  law  avenges  by  the  infamous  death  of  its  san¬ 
guinary  parent.  Instead,  therefore,  of  saying  (as  liber¬ 
tines  impudently  speak)  where  is  the  harm  of  taking  a 
little  pleasure  out  of  the  way  ;  you  will  perceive  that 
thieves  and  robbers  are  harmless  and  honorable  com¬ 
pared  with  the  lewd.  Injuries  from  these  open  foes 
have  very  soon  an  end,  in  most  instances  are  borne 
with  ease,  and  may  be  redressed :  they  do  not  strike  at 


V 


IMPURITY. 


321 


our  immortal  interest.  But  the  seducer  of  a  female 
destroys  her  reputation,  tears  her  away  from  her  family 
and  friends,  banishes  her  from  the  society  of  virtuous 
women,  and  entangles  her,  in  the  bloom  of  her  years, 
with  a  snare  which  will  soon  reduce  her  to  the  most  ah 
ject  of  all  conditions,  so  that  the  very  mention,  or  even 
remembrance  of  her  name,  shall  afresh  excite  grief  in 
her  family  and  relations — grief  unassuaged  by  the  least 
ray  of  hope  in  her  death  or  eternal  state. 

Upon  this  fair  representation  of  the  case,  ask  any  young 
woman  into  whose  hands  she  had  better  fall,  into  those 
of  the  seducer,  or  of  the  robber  1  "  Into  their  hands,”  she 
would  say,  ”  who  will  only  take  my  property,  and  fill 
me  with  momentary  terrors ;  not  into  the  libertine’s, 
who  will  plunge  me  into  infamy,  lingering  wretched¬ 
ness,  abandoned  vice  and  eternal  misery.”  Such  pests 
to  society  are  men  of  gallantry  and  pleasure !  How 
astonishing,  that  ruin  of  the  innocent  and  unsuspecting, 
dishonor  of  families,  heart-breaking  injuries  done  to 
worthy  aged  parents,  with  a  variety  of  crimes,  the  cer¬ 
tain  effects  of  uncontrolled  passion,  should  be  lightly 
passed  over  as  nothing  vile,  under  the  magic  name  of 
love  and  gallantry !  When  will  a  public  spirit  and 
generous  concern  to  prevent  such  heavy  woes  excite 
men  to  brand  every  word  spoken  in  favor  of  unchastity, 
as  they  do  what  is  spoken  to  lessen  our  abhorrence  of 
perjury  and  assassination  1  When  will  men  have  under¬ 
standing  to  perceive  that  the  affection  between  the 
sexes,  regulated  by  the  law  of  God,  like  a  river  flowing 
in  its  proper  channel,  blesses,  wherever  it  flows;  but, 
bursting  those  sacred  banks,  becomes  an  inundation  of 
miseries ;  and  that  he  never  more  tenderly  consulted 
the  good  of  his  rational  creatures  than  in  absolutely 
forbidding  every  degree  of  impurity. 

There  is,  indeed,  little  reason  to  hope  that  young 
men  will  present  to  themselves  such  a  view  as  is  here 

14* 


322 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


given  of  the  evil  of  this  sin;  but  it  is  the  inestimable 
benefit  of  Scripture  that  it  is  done  there  already  in  the 
most  striking  manner,  and  by  an  authority  that  must 
not  be  trifled  with.  The  rise,  the  progress,  and  fatal 
end  of  lewdness  is  there  contrasted  with  all  the  various 
allurements  that  lead  to  it.  There  the  lips  of  the  harlot 
are  painted  "  dropping  sweets  like  the  honey-comb,  and 
her  mouth  smoother  than  oil but  instantly,  to  quench 
the  least  rising  of  unlawful  desire,  her  end,  we  are  taught 
of  God,  is  'f  bitter  as  wormwood,  and  sharp  as  a  two- 
edged  sword.”  Prov.  5  :  3,  4.  The  simple  young  man  she 
invites  with  "  much  fair  speech,  to  take  his  fill  of  love 
till  the  morning but  immediately  the  treacherous  offer 
is  laid  bare,  and  under  the  thin  veil  of  a  fleeting  plea¬ 
sure,  an  injured  body  with  an  upbraiding  conscience  is 
discovered,  pouring  out  that  sad  confession,  "  How  have 
I  hated  instruction,  and  my  heart  despised  reproof !” 

Still  further,  lest  a  brutish  love  of  pleasure  should 
tempt  the  young  to  imagine  they  might  easily  make  a 
retreat  after  yielding  a  little  to  this  sin,  or  that  it  is  .not 
a  sin  of  such  high  offence,  God  has  most  emphatically 
expressed  both  its  infatuating  power,  and  the  doom  of 
those  who  live  in  subjection  to  it.  ”  He,”  that  is,  the  lewd 
young  man,  "  goeth  after  her  straightway,  as  an  ox 
goeth  to  the  slaughter,  or  as  a  fool  to  the  correction  of 
the  stocks  ;” — that  is,  utterly  stupid  and  incorrigible, 
"  till  a  dart  striketh  through  his  liver;  as  a  bird  hasteth 
to  the  snare,  and  knoweth  not  that  it  is  for  his  life.” 
Prov.  7  :  22,  23.  ”  Why  wilt  thou  embrace  the  bosom 
of  a  stranger  1  for  the  ways  of  a  man  are  before  the  eyes 
of  the  Lord,  and  he  pondereth  all  his  goings.  His  own 
iniquities  shall  take  the  wicked  himself,  and  he  shall  be 
holden  with  the  cords  of  his  sins.  He  shall  die  without 
instruction  :  and  in  the  greatness  of  his  folly  he  shall  go 
astray.”  Prov.  5  :  20-23. 

To  finish  the  testimony  of  God’s  abhorrence  of  the 


IMPURITY. 


I 


323 


sin  of  fornication  published  in  the  Old  Testament,  let  it 
be  observed,  that  it  was  made  a  capital  offence  by  the 
sentence  of  his  own  law  ;  and  the  most  abominable  of 
vices  is  itself  included  in  the  same  prohibition  with  that 
of  fornication  ;  designing,  I  apprehend,  to  teach  us  to 
what  horrid  lengths  lewdness,  indulged,  will  lead,  and 
to  create  a  dread  of  that  sin,  which  is  forbidden  togeth¬ 
er  with  one  so  infamous3  "  There  shall  be  no  whore  of 
the  daughters  of  Israel,  nor  a  Sodomite  of  the  sons  of 
Israel.”  Deut.  23  :  17. 

I  have  been  full  in  producing  the  law  of  God  in  old 
time  against  the  sin  of  fornication,  in  order  to  silence 
the  ignorance  of  some  who  are  foolish  enough  to  wax 
bold  in  sin,  vaunting  that  there  is  only  a  passage  or  two 
in  the  New  Testament  positive  in  condemning  their 
darling  crimes.  Indeed  were  it  so,  this  would  be  suffi¬ 
cient  ;  for  a  single  declaration  from  God  of  his  will 
claims  from  us  no  less  regard  and  obedience,  than  if  it 
was  often  repeated.  But  instead  of  a  passage  or  two 
only  in  the  New  Testament,  which  absolutely  condemns 
fornication,  it  is  not  possible  to  name  a  sin  (that  of  con¬ 
tempt  of  Christ  excepted)  which  is  so  generally  men¬ 
tioned  in  Scripture,  or  so  constantly  marked  as  the 
object  of  God’s  wrath.  Not  only  our  Redeemer  and 
Judge  ranks  this  with  sins  of  the  most  malignant  kind, 
and  as  a  peculiar  provocation  of  divine  wrath,  (Matt.  15  : 
19  ;  Mark,  7  :  21,)  but  his  great  apostle  scarcely  writes  a 
single  epistle  without  some  alarming  prohibition  against 
it.  In  one  place  St.  Paul  beautifully  opposes  marriage 
to  the  terrible  condition  of  the  unchaste  :  "  Marriage  is 
honorable  in  all,  and  the  bed  undefiled :  but  whoremon¬ 
gers  and  adulterers  God  will  judge.”  Heb.  13  :  4.  In  an¬ 
other,  he  not  only  affirms  that  ”  adultery,  fornication, 
lasciviousness,  and  uncleanUfess,  are  the  works  of  the 
flesh,”  the  fruit  of  our  corrupted  nature :  but,  with  re¬ 
markable  vehemence,  he  presses  us  to  lay  it  to  heart, 


324 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


that  each  of  these  sins  is  absolutely  inconsistent  with  a 
state  of  salvation  :  "  Of  the  which  I  tell  you  before,  as  I 
have  also  told  you  in  time  past,  that  they  which  do  such 
things  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.'1'1  Gal.  5  :  21. 

Such  is  the  light  and  power  accompanying  the  Gospel, 
wherever  duly  received,  that,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
apostle,  it  should  put  an  end  to  the  very  being  of  this 
enormity  within  the  pale  of  the  Christian  church:  "  For¬ 
nication  and  all  uncleanness — let  it  not  once  be  named 
amongst  you,  as  becometh  saints  ; — for  this  ye  know, 
that  no  whoremonger,  nor  unclean  person,  hath  any 
inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  God.” 
Ephes.  5:3,  5.  And  lest  the  plausible  ways  of  talking 
in  defence  of  lewdness,  in  which  men,  debauched  them¬ 
selves,  are  often  very  expert,  should  stagger  any  weak 
believer,  and  seduce  him  to  imagine  fornication  may  be 
practised  with  impunity,  this  awful  caution  is  given  : 
"  Let  no  man  deceive  you  with  vain  words  :  for  because 
of  these  things  cometh  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  disobedience.  Be  ye  not  therefore  partakers  with 
them.”  Ephes.  5  :  6,  7.  The  same  doctrine  is  as  strongly 
inculcated  upon  the  Christians  at  Colosse,  and  those  at 
Thessalonica :  "  This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanc¬ 
tification  ;  that  ye  should  abstain  from  fornication,  that 
every  one  of  you  should  know  how  to  possess  his  vessel 
in  sanctification  and  honor  ;  not  in  the  lust  of  concu¬ 
piscence,  as  the  Gentiles  which  know  not  God  ;  for  God 
hath  not  called  us  to  uncleanness,  but  unto  holiness. 
He,  therefore,  that  despiseth  (what  is  said  of  the  evil 
and  danger  of  fornication,  and  of  the  absolute  necessity 
of  purity)  despiseth  not  man,  but  God.” 

St.  John,  taught  by  inspiration  of  God,  exposes  no 
less  clearly  the  greatness  of  the  sin  of  fornication ;  for 
those  who  practise  it,  he  declares,  are  shut  out  of  the 
gates  of  the  heavenly  city.  Rev.  22  :  15.  "  Whore¬ 
mongers  ”  have  their  part  assigned  them  "in  the  lake 


IMPURITY. 


325 


which  burnetii  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the 
second  death.”  Rev.  21:8. 

But  of  all  the  Scriptures  written  on  purpose  to  in 
spire  a  horror  of  fornication,  those  animated  interro¬ 
gations  to  the  believers  at  Corinth  are  perhaps  most 
striking :  "  Know  ye  not  that  your  bodies  are  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  Christ  1”  Do  you  not  profess  to  belong  to  him, 
and  that  he  is  your  life-giving  head!  "Shall  I  then 
take  the  members  of  Christ  and  make  them  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  an  harlot!  God  forbid.”  Would  it  not  be  mon¬ 
strous  to  make  such  a  vile  use  of  them  as  to  alienate 
them  from  his  service  ;  and,  rending  them  off,  as  it  were 
from  him,  to  turn  them  into  the  members  of  a  lewd  wo¬ 
man  by  committing  whoredom  with  her!  "What, 
know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  is  in  you,  which  ye  have  of  God,  and  ye 
are  not  your  own!”  1  Cor.  6  :  19.  Appropriated  to 
God,  you  have  no  right  to  abuse  your  bodies  by  grati¬ 
fying  a  brutal  desire  of  pleasure.  This  is  the  worst 
kind  of  sacrilege :  this  is  the  most  dreadful  of  all  pro¬ 
fanations,  the  turning  what  is  consecrated  a  temple  for 
the  living  God  into  an  habitation  for  the  spirit  of 
uncleanness. 

Sum  up  now  what  has  been  offered  in  proof  of  the 
great  sinfulness  of  fornication.  Consider  the  present 
evils  so  evidently  connected  with  it  that  no  infidel  can 
deny  them  :  consider  the  repeated  declarations  of  God’s 
displeasure  against  this  sin,  from  his  first  making  it  a 
capital  offence  under  the  old  law,  to  his  denouncing 
against  it  everlasting  punishment  again  and  again  in  the 
last  revelation  of  his  will.  Consider  that  this  his  un¬ 
changeable  purpose  is  so  openly,  so  strongly  proclaim¬ 
ed,  that  either  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from  any  sin  we 
can  possibly  commit,  or  fornication  must  be  confessed 
to  he  a  damnable  one.  Weigh  these  things,  and  you 
must  acknowledge  how  much  it  is  the  duty  of  every 


326 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Christian,  as  he  loves  God,  as  he  reverences  his  word, 
nay,  as  he  regards  his  own  salvation,  to  deny  himself  in 
every  propensity  he  feels  to  commit  fornication,  and  to 
flee  from  it  as  he  would  from  the  face  of  a  serpent. 

Know,  therefore,  that  you  must  either  turn  apostate 
from  the  Christian  faith,  renouncing  every  hope  of  find 
ing  mercy  from  God  ;  or  you  must  "  mortify  your  mem¬ 
bers  which  are  upon  the  earth,  fornication,  uncleanness ;” 
and  be  fully  persuaded  that  this  sin  alone,  supposing  it 
were  possible  to  subsist  with  the  discharge  of  Christian 
duty  in  other  respects,  (which  it  cannot,)  would  drown 
the  soul  in  perdition.  This  full  persuasion  of  the  evil 
and  sinfulness  of  fornication  is  of  great  use  to  secure 
you,  in  the  early  and  most  important  season  of  life,  from 
what  is,  in  many  cases,  the  first  instance  of  premeditated 
rebellion  against  God;  the  first  means  of  riveting  on 
the  sinner  that  chain  which  drags  down  its  thousands 
and  ten  thousands  to  the  prison  of  hell ! 

Further;  whenever  any  end  is  proposed,  or  duty  en¬ 
joined,  the  means  necessary  to  maintain  the  one,  and  to 
perform  the  other,  are  tacitly  included  in  the  general 
precept ;  and  whatever  in  itself  renders  the  practice  of 
the  duty  very  precarious,  is  virtually  forbidden,  where 
it  can  be  avoided.  Now  from  this  most  evident  princi¬ 
ple,  a  Christian  is  obliged  to  carry  his  self-denial  much 
farther  than  a  mere  abstinence  from  the  gross  acts  of 
fornication  or  uncleanness ;  for  this  may  be  done  when 
there  is  no  true  chastity.  A  Christian  must  resolutely 
shun  all  representations  to  the  eye,  and  every  thing  that 
by  the  medium  of  the  senses  can  be  offered  to  his  mind, 
exciting  impure  desire,  or  defiling  the  imagination. 
Thus  the  chastity  of  Job  is  expressed  by  his  making  a 
covenant  with  his  eyes,  absolutely  to  check  them  from 
gazing  on  any  inflaming  object ;  and  our  Lord  brands 
as  the  adultery  of  the  heart,  "  the  looking  upon  a  wo¬ 
man  to  lust  after  her.”  In  short,  the  same  divine  an- 


IMPURITY. 


327 


thority  which  condemns  all  gross  lewdness,  condemns 
every  species  and  appearance  of  it  also  in  word  or 
thought.  Therefore  all  light,  wanton  and  obscene 
ways  of  talking,  however  fashionable,  are  impure  in 
such  a  degree  as  every  Christian  must  detest.  And  as  it 
is  the  temper  of  the  heart  which  stamps  the  real  cha¬ 
racter,  no  one  can  be  said  truly  to  mortify  his  sinful  ap¬ 
petite  who  cherishes  any  unclean  thoughts,  has  the 
least  pleasure  in  them,  or  can  suffer  a  lascivious  idea 
to  rest  upon  his  mind,  or  a  sound  exciting  it  to  play 
upon  his  ear.  For  were  it  a  renewed  mind,  were  it  a 
filial  fear  of  God,  were  it  a  sense  of  the  evil  of  sin, 
which  restrained  him  from  the  commission  of  open 
lewdness ;  then  the  same  principle  must  equally  restrain 
from  all  near  approaches  to  it,  and  from  every  thing 
savoring  of  it.  Indeed,  where  only  a  fear  of  shame,  or 
of  the  temporal  mischiefs  which  may  follow  lewdness 
prevails,  there  a  superficial  self-denial  extending  to 
gross  acts  only  will  be  all  the  effect.  On  the  contrary, 
where  there  is  a  real  desire  to  be  approved  of  God,  and 
to  walk  worthy  of  his  kingdom  and  glory,  there  purity 
in  the  most  secret  thoughts  will  be  cultivated  with  all 
carefulness,  and  every  person,  jest  or  object  injurious 
to  it,  will  be  conscientiously  avoided. 

Here  then  behold  a  noble  province  for  Christian  self- 
denial  opens !  here  the  spiritual  warfare,  in  which  every 
believer  in  Jesus  daily  fights,  becomes  most  visible — 
most  visible  in  opposing  all  the  licensed  honorable  ways, 
invented  by  the  world,  to  gratify  the  lewdness  of  the 
heart.  In  the  number  of  these  licensed  and  honorable 
ways  of  cherishing  defilement,  are  all  wanton  glances 
of  the  eye,  that  mirror  of  the  mind ;  the  singing  soft 
and  amorous  songs ;  double  entendres,  mixed  dancings, 
reading  novels:  and  above  all,  the  frequenting  the  play¬ 
house.  For  in  this  innocent  amusement,  as  the  world 
will  have  it  called  in  defiance  of  our  holy  faith,  of  our 


328 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


reason  and  of  experience,  whatever  can  corrupt  the 
mind  is  set  off  to  the  greatest  advantage.  Is  there  a 
lewd  allusion,  or  stroke  of  impure  wit ;  the  air,  the  voice 
of  the  actor  labor  to  give  it  the  highest  emphasis ;  whilst 
the  greater  part  of  the  audience  loudly  applaud  the  en¬ 
tertainment.  Nay,  if  by  chance  some  piece  should  gain 
admittance  on  the  stage  free  from  a  filthy  tincture ;  the 
house  must  still  have  their  prurient  humor  gratified  by 
an  epilogue  or  a  farce  full  of  innuendoes,  intimating  that 
the  happiness  of  the  human  race  must  stand  or  fall 
with  those  things  "  they  know  naturally  and  as  brute 
beasts.”* 

Now  to  live  in  the  world,  and  thus,  in  direct  opposi 
tion  to  its  favorite  taste,  to  preserve  true  chastity  of 
mind,  is  a  fruit  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  a  part  of  self-de 
nial  indispensably  required  from  all  Christians. 


*  If  the  reader  should  be  tempted  to  censure  this  remark  on  the 
stage,  the  author  is  supported  in  it  by  some  of  the  greatest  writers 
in  the  nation,  particularly  by  archbishop  Tillotson,  who  was  never 
deemed  either  a  rigorous  or  an  enthusiastic  divine.  And  those  who 
resent  the  absolute  condemnation  of  this  fashionable  amusement, 
would  do  well  to  consider  what  this  distinguished  prelate  says  upon 
this  subject. 

“  As  the  stage  now  is,  plays  are  intolerable,  and  not  fit  to  be  per¬ 
mitted  in  any  civilized,  much  less  a  Christian  nation.  They  do  most 
notoriously  minister  both  to  infidelity  and  vice.  By  their  profane¬ 
ness  they  are  apt  to  instil  bad  principles,  and  by  their  lewdness  to 
dispose  to  lewd  and  dissolute  practice,  and  therefore  I  do  not  see 
how  any  person  pretending  to  sobriety  and  virtue,  and  especially  to 
the  pure  and  holy  religion  of  our  blessed  Savior,  can,  without  great 
guilt  and  open  contradiction  to  his  holy  profession,  be  present  at 
such  lewd  and  immodest  plays ;  much  less  frequent  them,  as  too 
many  do,  who  would  yet  take  it  very  ill  to  be  shut  out  of  the  com¬ 
munion  of  Christians,  as  they  certainly  would  have  been  in  the  first 
ages  of  Christianity.” — Sermon  on  the  Evil  of  Corrupt  Communication. 


DESIRE  OF  WEALTH. 


329 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


S  Use,  tied. 

\ 

COVETOUSNESS — INORDINATE  AFFECTION - THE  LOVE 

OF  PRAISE. 

It  is  a  remarkable  proof  of  the  corruption  of  human 
nature,  .that  all  the  passions  which  are  natural  to  the 
human  race  require  to  be  restrained  and  mortified.  If 
we  look  into  the  world,  we  do  not  find  men  in  general 
so  impressed  by  love  to  God,  by  delight  in  spiritual 
things,  by  ardent  benevolence,  as  that  attention  and 
caution  are  required  lest  those  virtues  should  be  carried 
to  excess,  (if  there  could  be  excess  in  them,)  and  lest 
the  business  of  this  life  should  be  neglected.  As  the 
bias  lies  on  the  other  side,  the  danger  is,  lest  religion 
should  be  neglected ;  lest  the  love  of  the  world  and  the 
lusts  of  the  flesh  should  be  cherished.  Religion,  there¬ 
fore,  supposes  human  nature  to  be  corrupt.  It  is  in 
fact  nothing  but  a  system  of  restraint  upon  man :  it 
prevents  his  doing  what  he  is  strongly  inclined  to  do, 
and  requires  him  to  do  what  else  he  would  not  think  of 
performing.  We  have  already  seen  how  much  self-de¬ 
nial  is  requisite  with  respect  to  intemperance  and  un¬ 
chastity  j  we  now  observe,  that  corrupt  self  must  be 
denied  in  its  propensity  to  covciousJiess. 

This  propensity  there  is  in  us  all ;  for  though  we 
may  feel  no  inclination  to  be  fraudulent,  in  order  to  in¬ 
crease  our  gain  ;  still  are  we  naturally  apt  to  desire 
wealth,  and  to  place  our  happiness  in  amassing  money. 
Commerce  and  custom  perpetually  cherish  this  corrupt 
principle ;  and  the  world  sees  no  evil  in  being  intent  on 
getting  as  much  as  it  is  possible  to  gain  with  a  fair  cha- 


330 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAX. 


racter.  By  this  means,  what  at  lirst  setting  out  in  trade 
was  no  more  than  an  innocent  desire  of  providing  ho¬ 
nestly  for  ourselves  and  our  family,  soon  grows  into  a 
very  mischievous  and  wicked  passion. 

This  propensity  to  love  money  it  is  the  duty  of  a 
Christian  to  resist  in  its  first  workings ;  for  it  is  entirely 
opposite  to  the  temper  of  mind  required  in  a  Christian, 
and  it  is  declared  by  Scripture  to  be  ruinous  to  the  soul 
wherever  it  prevails 

It  is  opposite  to  the  temper  of  mind  required  in  a 
Christian ;  for  he  is  called  to  seek  after  a  better,  that 
is,  a  heavenly  country,  and  to  stand  always  ready  for 
an  immediate  separation  from  all  things  visible.  But 
the  propensity  to  covetousness,  unless  denied,  will,  on 
the  contrary,  utterly  benumb  all  sense  of  futurity,  suf¬ 
fering  to  think  of  nothing  with  frequency  or  earnest¬ 
ness  but  wealth  and  its  present  advantages.  It  will 
possess  his  mind  with  a  strong  delusion,  that  money  is 
the  chief  good  of  man  on  earth ;  and  utterly  exclude 
all  just  apprehensions  of  the  religion  which  cometh 
from  God,  whose  characteristic  is,  that  it  overcometh 
all  worldly  lusts. 

Besides,  the  Gospel  is  revealed  to  fix  us,  through  our 
knowledge  of  the  grace  of  God,  in  a  state  of  full  resig¬ 
nation  to  his  will ;  so  that  in  want,  or  in  affluence,  we 
should  be  able  to  say,  "We  know  how  to  be  abased, 
and  how  to  abound  ;  every  where  and  in  all  things  we 
are  instructed  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry,  both  to 
abound  and  to  suffer  need.”  But  a  covetous  spirit  can 
only  conform  itself  to  the  will  of  God  so  long  as  his 
providence  is  favorable.  If  God  give  prosperity,  then  a 
man  tinctured  with  covetousness  may  possibly  find  him¬ 
self  inclined,  in  some  degree,  to  serve  and  adore  his 
Maker  ;  but  should  misfortune  upon  misfortune  scourge 
him,  he  will  be  fretful,  murmuring  and  inconsolable. 

The  Gospel  makes  the  truth  and  substance  of  religion 


DESIRE  OF  WEALTH. 


331 


to  be  a  firm  trust  in  God,  and  a  delight  in  him  as  our 
chief  happiness.  But  avarice  says  unto  gold,  "Thou 
art  my  confidence  ;  thou  art  the  god  whose  presence 
brings  with  it  the  greatest  blessing,  and  whose  absence 
cS  the  greatest  curse.”  The  Gospel  is  given  on  purpose 
to  raise  our  desires  with  increasing  fervor  towards  God, 
to  fix  our  affections  with  immoveable  steadfastness  on 
things  above,  and  to  engage  us  in  the  constant  pursuit 
of  them  with  an  ardor  in  some  degree  suited  to  their 
worth.  The  covetous  person,  by  making  wealth  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  his  chief  desire,  has  no  warmth  of  affection  left 
for  God,  nothing  more  than  the  husk  of  heartless  duties ; 
he  forms  no  idea  of  the  blessedness  of  being  with  God, 
in  any  other  view  than  as  a  sort  of  refuge,  when  death 
comes,  and  riches  can  be  no  longer  possessed. 

And  to  mention  no  more  instances  of  the  contrariety 
of  a  covetous  spirit  to  the  state  of  a  real  believer  ;  it 
hardens  the  heart  towards  our  fellow-beings,  and  either 
from  a  fear  of  lessening  our  treasure,  or  a  desire  of  in¬ 
creasing  it,  will  esteem  charity  a  low  subordinate  duty ; 
and  leave  our  neighbor,  partaker  of  our  own  flesh,  to 
struggle  with  sickness  and  with  want,  even  to  perish  un¬ 
assisted.  Directly  opposite  to  this  selfish  one  is  the  dis¬ 
position  of  a  Christian :  he  is  "  ready  to  distribute,  will¬ 
ing  to  communicate,”  putting  on  bowels  of  mercy,  and 
feeling  love  unfeigned.  He  remembers  with  joy,  that  it 
is  the  will  of  God  that  those  who  are  rich  should  give 
plenteously,  as  stewards  and  not  proprietors  of  their 
wealth  :  that  by  this  means  the  great  abundance  of  some 
may  prove  a  supply  to  the  want  of  others  ;  that  those  . 
who  have  much  should  have  nothing  over,  and  they  that 
have  nothing  should  feel  no  lack. 

In  this  view,  the  sin  of  covetousness  as  it  respects 
God  and  man,  is  most  evident ;  and  by  consequence  the 
duty  of  self-denial,  in  resisting  every  motion  we  feel 
tending  towards  it  in  our  breasts. 


332 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


To  enforce  this  self-denial,  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
further  the  Scripture  representation  of  covetousness  as 
ruinous  to  the  soul. 

And  here  it  is  remarkable  that  the  covetousness  a- 
gainst  which  we  are  so  earnestly  warned  in  God’s  word, 
is  not  of  the  kind  generally  deemed  scandalous,  but 
such  as  may  govern  the  heart  of  a  man  who  is  esteemed 
virtuous  and  excellent  by  the  world.  In  the  tenth  Psalm, 
the  covetous,  whom  the  Lord  is  there  said  to  abhor,  are 
the  very  persons  of  whom  the  wicked  speak  well :  which 
could  never  be  the  case,  did  their  love  of  money  make 
them  either  villanous  in  their  practice,  or  miserably  pe¬ 
nurious  in  their  temper ;  for  men  of  this  stamp  none 
commend.  The  same  thing  is  observable  in  that  solemn 
caution  given  by  our  Redeemer,  "  Take  heed,  and  be¬ 
ware  of  covetousness;”  by  which  it  is  evident  that  he 
meant  a  rooted  persuasion  that  the  comfort  of  life  con¬ 
sists  in  abundance  ;  and  desiring  from  such  a  persuasion, 
to  be  rich :  this  was  the  covetousness  our  Lord  con¬ 
demns.  And  that  his  admonition  might  sink  the  deeper, 
he  represents  the  workings  of  that  avarice  which  he 
condemns,  in  a  case  which  passes  every  day  before  our 
eyes.  It  is  this  : 

A  man  grows  rich  in  his  business,  not  through  fraud 
or  extortion,  but  by  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his  own 
labor  and  skill.  As  is  usual,  he  is  highly  delighted  with 
his  success;  he  exults  in  the  prospect  of  being  master, 
in  a  few  years,  of  an  independent  fortune  !  in  the  mean 
time  he  is  determined  to  be  frugal  and  diligent,  till  he 
.  takes  his  final  leave  of  business  to  enjoy  all  the  sweets 
of  ease  and  splendor.  Now,  where  are  the  people,  go¬ 
verned  by  the  common  maxims  and  principles  of  h..man 
nature,  who  see  any  thing  to  blame  in  this  man’s  senti¬ 
ment  or  conduct  I  who  do  not  applaud  and  imitate  it 
themselves  1  Yet  this  very  man  our  Lord  sets  before  our 
eyes  as  the  picture  of  one  engrossed  by  a  covetous  de- 


DESIRE  OF  WEALTH. 


333 


sire  of  the  tilings  of  this  world.  This  very  man  he  re¬ 
presents  as  summoned  in  the  midst  of  all  his  golden 
hopes  to  appear  a  guilty  criminal  at  the  bar  of  his  Ma¬ 
ker.  Lo!  this  is  the  man  whom  our  Lord  exposes  as  a 
miserable  wretch,  for  all  others  to  take  warning  by,  and 
resist  covetousness  :  "  So,” — such  a  fool  and  such  a 
sinner  as  this, — "  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  him¬ 
self,”  that  is,  every  earthly-minded  man,  who  seeks  af¬ 
ter  wealth  as  if  it  were  the  foundation  of  happiness, 
"  and  is  not  rich  towards  God,” — rich  in  faith,  hope 
and  holiness.  Luke,  12  :  21. 

St.  Paul,  in  perfect  harmony  with  his  Lord,  forbids  the 
desire  of  wealth  as  a  criminal  effect  of  avarice.  ”  Let 
your  conversation  be  without  covetousness,  and  be  con¬ 
tent  with  such  things  as  ye  have  :  for  he  hath  said,  I  will 
never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.”  Heb.  13:5.  And 
where,  instead  of  this  self-denied  temper,  a  desire  of  in¬ 
creasing  in  wealth  is  cherished  ;  there  snares,  defile¬ 
ment  and  ruin  are  declared  to  be  the  certain  conse¬ 
quences  5  for  ”  they  that  will  ”  (the  original  signifies  the 
simple  desire)  ”  be  rich,  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare, 
and  into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown 
men  in  destruction  and  perdition.  For  the  love  of  mo¬ 
ney  is  the  root  of  all  evil :  which  while  some  coveted 
after,  they  have  erred  from  the  faith,  and  pierced  them¬ 
selves  through  with  many  sorrows.”  1  Tim.  6  :  9,  10. 

Now,  however  easy  and  common  it  may  seem  to  de¬ 
spise  that  sordid  spirit  of  avarice  which  alone  meets 
with  contempt  from  the  world ;  the  accumulating  of 
riches  by  every  questionable  method ;  and,  for  fear  of 
expense,  the  refusing  afterwards  to  make  any  use  of 
them ; — yet  to  resist  the  workings  of  covetousness, 
according  to  the  Scripture  definition  of  that  depraved 
temper,  must  be  confessed  to  be  a  most  heroic  instance 
of  self-denial.  For  suppose  men  to  be  engaged  in  busi¬ 
ness,  how  strong  are  their  natural  fears  of  failing,  and 


324 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


their  desire  to  prosper!  how  dependent  must  they  be 
at  first  on  those  who  employ  them !  Consider  the  con¬ 
stant  language  of  the  world  in  calling  wealth  a  blessing 
and  a  reward ;  its  custom  of  treating  men  with  respect, 
and  paying  court  to  them,  exactly  in  proportion  to 
their  moneyed  worth.  Weigh  these  things,  and  then  say 
whether  any  thing  can  be  more  contrary  to  our  natural 
selfishness  than  to  renounce  all  love  of  money  ! — than 
to  be  quite  satisfied  with  using  constant  industry  and 
all  our  skill  (which  God  commands  us  to  do)  in  our 
trade  or  profession ;  and  when  that  is  done,  to  cast  all 
our  care  upon  him,  cheerfully  leaving  it  to  his  own 
most  wise  and  gracious  will  in  what  degree  we  shall 
grow  rich,  or  whether  ever  at  all ;  assured  that  if  we 
"  dwell  in  the  land  and  are  doing  good,”  by  an  uniform 
subjection  to  God’s  word,  he  will  bring  it  to  pass,  that 
upon  the  whole  our  condition  shall  be  appointed  to  us 
in  richest  mercy  1  What  more  difficult  self-denial  can 
be  conceived,  than  to  live  in  the  temple  of  the  god  of 
riches,  (as  this  world  may  too  justly  be  called,)  hearing 
high  and  low,  priests  and  people,  all  paying  their  ado¬ 
ration  to  this  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  and  yet 
remain  uninfected  by  thirst  for  money  1  This  can  be 
obtained  only  by  unintermitted  discipline  exercised 
over  our  own  hearts,  and  by  possession  of  the  true 
riches  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  Christ. 

If  it  should  be  said,  do  you  mean,  then,  to  affirm 
that  it  is  wrong  for  any  man  to  rise  to  a  state  of  great 
wealth!  The  Scripture,  I  answer,  condemns  only  the 
desire  of  riches  and  the  passion  for  them,  as  defiling 
and  sinful.  Therefore,  if  whilst  your  whole  heart  is 
given  to  God,  he  is  pleased  to  prosper  whatever  you 
take  in  hand,  and  to  give  you  an  abundant  increase, 
then  your  wealth  is  evidently  as  much  the  gift  of  God 
as  if  it  came  to  you  by  legacy  or  inheritance.  It  is 
God’s  own  act  and  deed  to  call  you  up,  who  were  con- 


DESIIiE  OF  WEALTH. 


335 


tent  to  sit  down  in  a  low  place  ;  and  to  intrust  you 
with  more  talents  to  improve  for  his  glory.  Now  the 
difference  between  possessing  wealth,  thus  put  into 
your  hands,  and  desiring  to  grow  rich,  is  as  great  as 
that  between  a  worthless  ambitious  intruder  into  a 
place  of  honor,  seeking  nothing  but  his  own  base  in 
terest,  and  a  man  sought  out  for  his  worth,  and  invest 
ed  with  the  same  office  for  the  public  good.  And  those 
who  can  see  no  material,  no  necessary  distinction  in  the 
two  cases,  are  already  blinded  by  the  love  of  money. 

Nor  let  any  one  deem  it  useless  or  severe  to  exercise 
so  strict  a  self-denial  over  the  covetous  propensity  of 
his  heart.  Useless  it  is  not,  because  we  can  never 
be  secure  from  the  dominion  of  sin,  unless  we  guard 
against  its  first  plausible  insinuations  to  gain  admis¬ 
sion.  But  if  we  were  allowed  to  give  place  to  wishes 
and  desires  of  being  richer  than  the  providence  of  God, 
unsolicited  by  us,  sees  fit  to  make  us ;  what  a  suspicion 
must  this  imply  of  his  love  for  us,  and  how  soon  must 
it  insensibly  betray  us  into  sinful  schemes  of  gratifying 
our  predominant  desire  !  Whereas,  by  commanding  us 
to  rest  with  a  full  confidence  on  his  providential  good¬ 
ness  and  fatherly  affection,  in  a  way  of  diligence  and 
duty,  all  the  avenues  by  which  temptation  would  ap« 
proach  to  enslave  us  are  shut  up;  and  by  resolutely  re¬ 
fusing  all  correspondence  with  the  enemy,  we  are  safe 
from  his  treachery  as  well  as  from  his  open  assaults. 

Neither  is  such  strict  self-denial,  as  forbids  our  enter¬ 
taining  a  wish  or  desire  to  have  more  than  is  sufficient 
for  our  present  provision,  severe  and  irksome  to  prac¬ 
tise.  Because  as  sin  is  most  powerful,  and  grace  weak¬ 
est,  when  we  are  but  just  within  the  verge  of  salvation 
and  the  limits  of  what  is  lawful ;  so  is  the  liberty  and 
pleasure  of  the  soul  enlarged  in  proportion  as  it  moves 
out  of  the  neighborhood  of  sin :  when,  instead  of  turn¬ 
ing  back  to  its  paths  as  paths  of  pleasantness,  we  flee 


336 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


from  them  as  utterly  detestable,  as  the  ways  of  de 
struction  and  misery.  Add  to  this,  so  far  is  the  desire 
of  riches  from  constituting  the  pleasure  of  them,  that 
it  really  fills  the  mind  with  anxiety  3  so  far  from  aug¬ 
menting  the  comfort  of  those  who  cherish  it,  that  it 
turns  every  little  loss  or  disappointment  into  a  grievous 
burden,  and  creates  vexation  of  spirit  on  a  thousand 
occasions  without  cause  or  end. 

'4  i  / 

Self  must  be  denied  also  in  the  use  and  enjoyment 
even  of  things  lawful.  Intemperance,  lewdness  and 
covetousness  are  in  every  degree  defiling  and  sinful: 
nothing  can  be  urged  in  their  defence  by  those  who 
will  reason  justly,  or  who  believe  sincerely  the  word 
of  God.  But  when  we  have  subdued  these  corruptions 
of  the  heart,  there  still  remains  much  exercise  for  self- 
denial  with  respect  to  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
we  possess.  We  must  be  careful  to  use  them  so  as  not 
to  abuse  them.  We  must  keep  our  hearts  disengaged 
from  those  temporal  blessings  which  have  no  intrinsic 
worth,  and  which  others,  better  than  ourselves,  often 
want.  By  this  self-denial  we  shall  receive  all  the  bene¬ 
fit  outward  comforts  were  intended  to  confer  on  their 
possessors,  without  putting  our  peace  in  their  power, 
in  case  the  providence  of  God  should  deprive  us  of 
them.  Now,  considering  how  very  uncertain  all  our 
outward  comforts  are,  and  how  impossible  to  be  abso¬ 
lutely  secured  to  us  for  any  time,  to  hold  them  as  un¬ 
certain  is  certainly  wise  and  necessary. 

Amongst  these  lawful  things  in  which  self  must  be 
denied,  our  nearest  and  dearest  relatives  are  included. 
For  though  much  love  is  due  to  them,  and  a  tenderness 
of  affection  which  will  make  our  connection  a  source 
of  true  pleasure,  still  God  alone  must  possess  the  su¬ 
preme  place  in  our  hearts.  But  unless  we  are  much 
upon  our  guard,  and.  very  jealous  of  ourselves,  where 


DESIRE  OF  WEALTH. 


337 


we  love  as  we  ought,  we  shall  soon  love  as  we  ought 
not.  The  affection  which  should  be  kept  subordinate, 
will  intrench  upon  what  we  owe  to  God,  and  render  us 
by  degrees  cold  towards  him.  What  neither  intemper¬ 
ance,  nor  lust,  nor  covetousness  could  effect,  a  passion¬ 
ate  fondness  for  a  husband,  a  wife  or  a  child,  will  often 
produce.  It  will  alienate  Jhe  affections  from  God,  by 
substituting  an  idol  in  his  place  ;  an  idol  which  we  shall 
more  studiously  seek  to  please,  and  be  more  fearful  to 
offend  than  our  God :  an  idol  in  whose  precarious  life 
all  our  happiness  will  centre,  and  whose  death  will 
prove  a  stroke  too  heavy  to  bear  with  Christian  sub¬ 
mission. 

The  danger  of  this  inordinate  affection  is  mentioned 
in  Scripture,  and  self-denial  in  this  instance  is  peculiar¬ 
ly  enjoined.  "  If  any  man  come  to  me,  and  hate  not 
his  father  and  mother,  and  wife,  and  children,”  that  is, 
so  far  as  they  would  interfere  with  a  supreme  affection 
for  Christ,  and  hinder  faithfulness  in  his  service ;  if  he 
does  not  in  these  respects  as  much  renounce  all  his 
fondness  for  them,  as  if  he  had  an  actual  hatred  to¬ 
wards  their  persons,  "  he  cannot  be  my  disciple ;  he 
cannot  stand  when  brought  to  the  fiery  trial ;  and 
though  that  should  never  be  the  case,  his  heart  can¬ 
not  be  whole  with  me.”  Luke,  14  :  26. 

The  same  doctrine  of  self-denial  is  inculcated  by  St. 
Paul,  and  founded  upon  an  abiding  reason.  "Brethren, 
(says  he,)  the  time  is  short :  it  remaineth,  that  both 
they  that  have  wives  be  as  though  they  had  none ;  and 
they  that  weep,  as  though  they  wept  not ;  and  they  that 
rejoice,  as  though  they  rejoiced  not ;  and  they  that  buy, 
as  though  they  possessed  not ;  and  they  that  use  this 
world,  as  not  abusing  it:  for  the  fashion  of  this  world 
passeth  away.”  1  Cor.  7  :  29-31.  Short-lived  as  we 
are  ourselves,  and  still  shorter  in  duration  as  our  best 
earthly  comforts  so  often  prove,  we  only  act  according 

Duty  of  man.  1^ 


338 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


to  the  truth  of  our  condition,  as  well  as  in  obedience 
to  God,  by  limiting  our  affections  towards  them.  By 
this  means  we  shall  still  be  happy  in  a  separation  from 
them,  no  less  than  in  their  possession.  God,  who  is  with¬ 
out  any  variableness,  will  be  our  joy,  and  the  failure  of 
the  cisterns  too  many  hew  out  for  themselves,  will  the 
more  enhance  to  us  the  fountain  of  living  waters.  To 
perceive  the  excellency  of  being  thus  disengaged  from 
inordinate  affection  towards  objects  which  it  is  not  un¬ 
lawful  to  regard  with  peculiar  love,  look  upon  the  fond 
mother,  stupid  and  dumb  with  grief ;  like  "Rachel  weep¬ 
ing  for  her  children,  and  refusing  to  be  comforted  be¬ 
cause  they  are  not;”  observe  the  settled  melancholy 
under  which  thousands  are  oppressed,  through  a  separa¬ 
tion  from  the  husband  or  wife  of  their  youth,  with  whom 
they  promised  themselves  a  length  of  joyous  years. 
Behold  all  their  happiness  shivered  in  pieces,  all  inter¬ 
red  with  the  idol  on  which  they  doated !  The  whole 
creation  is  now  become  as  the  barren  wilderness,  and 
no  prospect  of  ease  before  them,  but  in  the  gloomy 
thought  of  dying  soon  themselves. 

Consider  this  afflicting  scene  occurring  daily,  and 
you  will  be  compelled  to  own  that  no  self-denial  can  be 
more  reasonable  or  more  necessary  than  that  of  sup¬ 
pressing  all  inordinate  affection  towards  those  dear  ob¬ 
jects  which  may  be  torn  in  a  moment  from  us;  and 
which,  when  delighted  in  beyond  measure,  are  sure  to 
pierce  us  far  more  deeply  with  anguish  for  their  loss 
than  ever  they  could  repay  our  excessive  love  with  joy 
by  their  presence. 

Corrupt  self  must  also  be  denied  in  our  love  of  the 
praise  of  men.  It  is  evident,  that  unless  something  no¬ 
bler  than  what  earth  can  give,  is  the  grand  object  of 
pursuit,  praise  is  as  delightful  to  the  mind  as  sounds 
exquisitely  harmonious  are  to  the  ear,  or  the  most  de- 


LOVE  OF  PRAISE. 


339 


licious  flavors  to  the  taste.  The  heathens  avowed  the 
love  of  praise  to  be  the  spring  of  all  that  gave  a  lustre 
to  their  names.  Thus  Themistocles  owned,  that  being 
pointed  at  in  the  public  meetings,  afforded  him  a  plea¬ 
sure  which  amply  rewarded  him  for  all  the  great  ex¬ 
ploits  he  had  done  for  his  country.  And  Tully  is  not 
ashamed  to  publish  to  the  whole  world  his  vanity,  that 
he  rose  up  in  defence  of  Rome  against  her  unnatural 
conspirators,  not  from  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  but  to 
erect  to  himself  a  monument  of  glory.  The  same  prin¬ 
ciple  gave  birth  to  the  austerities  of  the  Pharisees,  and 
to  the  duties  of  religion  they  performed;  all  their  works 
they  did  to  be  seen  of  men.  That  in  this  respect  human 
nature  is  always  the  same,  is  evident  from  the  pain  men 
feel  whenever  they  meet  with  expressions  of  disgrace 
and  scorn ;  how  keenly  do  they  pierce,  how  greatly 
provoke !  It  is  evident  also  from  the  visible  pleasure 
with  which  men  generally  listen  to  their  own  commen¬ 
dation,  and  incite  every  designing  flatterer  to  offer  to 
them  his  incense. 

Now  this  strong  innate  love  of  the  praise  of  men,  it 
is  the  duty  of  a  Christian  to  deny.  He  must  not  suffer 
it  to  direct  his  actions.  Were  so  false  a  principle  to 
govern  him,  the  judgment  of  the  world  would  be  his 
rule  of  life,  in  contempt  of  God,  his  maker  and  his  judge. 
He  would  judge  of  the  extent  of  his  duty  not  from  the 
plain  command  of  God,  but  from  what  was  reputable  or 
otherwise.  What  will  the  world  think  of  me  1  would 
'  be  an  alarming  suggestion,  fatal  to  every  purpose  of 
living  as  a  real  Christian  must :  and  the  fear  of  an  ap¬ 
pearance  of  enthusiasm  in  abstaining  from  fashionable 
vices,  would  reconcile  him  to  practices  glaringly  op¬ 
posite  to  his  duty.  Whatever  knowledge  and  convic¬ 
tion  of  the  truth  he  might  have  more  than  others,  fond¬ 
ness  for  applause  from  men  would  compel  him  to  hold 
the  truth  in  unrighteousness ;  and  to  resist  his  con- 


340 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


victions,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  approbation  of  the  world. 

Further  ;  this  principle,  if  not  effectually  resisted,  not 
only  leads  to  evil,  but  corrupts  what  has  the  appearance 
of  being  good.  It  influences  you  to  do  all  things  from 
mere  selfishness,  that  you  may  stand  high  in  reputation. 
In  a  word,  as  base  parasites  at  court  know  no  other 
standard  of  good  or  evil  than  their  prince’s  humor ;  so 
the  love  of  praise,  if  not  mortified,  will  suffer  you  to 
avow  neither  doctrine,  sentiment  nor  practice,  but  what 
is  in  good  repute  with  the  world,  however  strongly  it 
may  be  enforced  in  Scripture  as  the  truth,  and  inwardly 
believed  by  you  to  be  such. 

The  love  of  praise,  therefore,  being  so  opposite  to 
our  obedience  to  God,  all  its  soft  treacherous  insinua¬ 
tions  must  be  denied.  For  as  there  is  nothing  necessa¬ 
ry  to  our  salvation,  but  what  is  taught  us  in  the  Bible, 
and  nothing  there  enjoined  but  what  is  necessary  and 
infinitely  beneficial  too,  we  must  conform  to  that  infal¬ 
lible  rule.  This  must  be  our  only  ambition,  this  our 
single  aim,  to  walk  before  God  to  all  well-pleasing;  re¬ 
gardless  of  our  character  amongst  men,  whether  ap¬ 
proved  or  condemned,  whilst  we  act  conscientiously. 
If,  in  the  discharge  of  our  duty,  we  meet  with  praise, 
as  we  may  from  real  Christians,  we  may  take  encou¬ 
ragement  from  it,  and  be  thankful  to  God  for  his  grace  : 
if,  on  the  contrary,  we  meet  with  obloquy  and  detrac¬ 
tion,  unmoved  by  it,  we  must  steadily  persevere  to  give 
offence  to  those  who  are  wayward  enough  to  take  it,  on 
account  of  our  fidelity  to  God.  Whatever  reluctance 
we  feel,  we  must  bid  defiance  to  all  attempts  to  make 
our  love  of  character  operate  to  the  suppressing  or 
damping  our  zeal  for  the  truth  of  God. 

This  is  a  noble  species  of  self-denial,  of  which  none 
but  Christians  in  reality  have  any  knowledge.  But 
though  the  love  of  praise  is  naturally  as  sweet  to  them 
as  to  others,  they  have  sufficient  motives  to  wean  them 


LOVE  OF  PRAISE. 


341 


from  seeking  it.  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  object  of  their 
hope  and  confidence,  of  their  love  and  delight,  ever 
since  they  believed,  is  present  to  their  minds.  They 
frequently  meditate  on  his  life,  who  was  not  only  de¬ 
spised,  but  suffered  outrage  for  their  sakes ;  who  hid 
not  his  face  from  shame  and  spitting,  who  gave  his  back 
to  the  smiters,  and  his  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off 
the  hair.  In  contemplation  of  this  amazing  fact,  the 
love  of  the  praise  of  men  loses  its  bewitching  power ; 
whilst  a  deep  veneration  and  a  most  affectionate  regard 
for  one  who  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  though 
infinitely  deserving  the  highest  adoration,  reconciles 
the  believer’s  mind  to  abstain  from  seeking  praise  from 
the  world. 

Besides  this  weighty  motive  to  deny  self  in  not  seek 
ing  the  praise  of  men,  Christians  are  taught  to  expect 
contempt  on  account  of  their  religion,  and  exhorted  in 
no  degree  to  marvel  at  it,  or  to  be  discouraged  by  it. 
In  the  thirty-seventh  Psalm,  written  when  all  the  pro¬ 
fessing  people  of  God  used  the  same  religious  mode 
of  worship,  when  there  was  no  opposition  on  account 
of  any  supposed  innovation  in  religious  tenets ;  in  this 
Psalm,  full  of  consolation  to  the  faithful,  the  enmity  in¬ 
curred  by  a  truly  conscientious  behavior  is  thus  strong¬ 
ly  marked,  "  The  wicked  plotteth  against  the  just,  and 
gnasheth  upon  him  with  his  teeth.  The  wicked  have 
drawn  out  the  sword,  and  bent  the  bow,  to  slay  such  as 
be  of  upright  conversation.”  vAs  the  publication  of  the 
Gospel  drew  near,  the  Almighty  exhorts  all  who  should 
be  disposed  to  receive  it,  not  to  suffer  their  love  of 
praise,  or  their  fear  of  shame,  to  make  them  conceal  or 
dissemble  their  faith:  "Hearken  unto  me,”  saith  the 
Lord,  "  ye  that  know  righteousness,  the  people  in 
whose  heart  is  my  law ;  fear  ye  not  the  reproach  of 
men,  neither  be  ye  afraid  of  their  revilings.”  Isa.  51:7. 
When  Jesus  himself  appears  and  publishes  a  complete 


342 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


delineation  of  the  spirit  of  all  his  faithful  followers ; 
that  humility,  meekness  and  zeal  for  God ;  that  purity 
and  mercy  which  were  to  rule  in  their  hearts,  and  to 
constitute  their  essential  character;  he  immediately 
declares,  how  insupportable  the  character,  lovely  as  it 
is  in  itself,  would  prove  to  men  of  corrupt  minds.  He 
assures  his  followers,  therefore,  that  they  are  blessed 
who  are  slandered  and  even  persecuted  for  the  sake  of 
this  righteousness;  a  righteousness  the  imitation  of  his 
own,  therefore  both  upbraiding  and  galling  to  men  of 
partial  and  superficial  virtue. 

Now  these  instructions  come  strongly  in  aid  of  a 
sense  of  duty,  to  love  the  praise  of  God,  and  to  seek 
only  that  honor  that  cometh  of  him.  They  are  of  great 
efficacy  to  cool  the  heart  that  would  otherwise  burn 
for  reputation.  And  whilst  Christians  are  only  studying 
to  be  found  approved  of  God,  their  eye  being  thus 
"  single  ;  their  whole  body,”  according  to  that  gracious 
promise,  Luke,  11  :  34*,  "is  full  of  light,” — of  the  light 
of  truth,  holiness  and  comfort :  in  this  they  enjoy  more 
than  a  counterbalance  to  the  loss  of  human  praise, 
more  than  a  recompense  for  all  aspersions  cast  upon 
their  understanding,  choice  and  conduct. 


FALSE  SHAME. 


343 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SEIjF-DEJYI&Ij*— continued. 


FALSE  SHAME - SUFFERING  FOR  RELIGION - PRIDE  OF  REASON 

- SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

We  have  seen  the  necessity  of  exercising  self-denial 
with  respect  to  our  sensual  appetites,  with  respect  also 
to  the  inclinations  natural  to  man,  for  wealth,  the  com¬ 
forts  of  life,  and  the  praise  of  our  fellow-creatures.  But 
religion,  which  teaches  us  the  necessity  of  self-denial, 
is  itself  also  the  occasion  of  opening  to  us  a  new  scene 
for  its  exercise.  The  profession  of  a  higher  degree  of 
religion  than  is  common  in  the  world,  subjects  us  to 
a  loss  of  reputation ;  to  bear  which,  witho,ut  being 
ashamed  or  hurt,  will  require  no  trifling  exertion  of 
self-denial.  W e  all  naturally  follow  the  custom  and 
fashion  of  the  world  around  us,  and  though  not  fired 
with  the  love  of  fame,  we  still  feel  it  grievous  to  be 
reproached  as  bigots,  fools  or  enthusiasts.  When, 
therefore,  we  observe  that  our  attachment  to  Scripture 
principles,  in  condemnation  of  corrupt  practices  and 
fashionable  errors,  will  render  us  disagreeable  and  unfit 
for  the  company  of  the  polite,  pride  will  begin  strongly 
to  plead  within,  to  dissemble  and  not  appear  more  at¬ 
tached  to  religion  than  others;  it  will  be  swaying  us 
to  seem  at  least  to  approve  what  all  the  company  ap¬ 
proves,  though  we  condemn  it  in  our  hearts.  Therefore, 

This  Evil  Shame  in  all  its  workings,  must  be  denied; 
because  nothing  can  be  more  base,  more  encouraging 
10  wickedness,  or  more  destructive  to  our  own  souls. 

Nothing  can  be  more  base  than  such  a  dastardly  ob- 


344 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


sequiousness  to  the  opinions  of  men  $  since,  besides  the 
reigning  cowardice  it  betrays,  what  a  return  is  this  for 
the  inestimable  blessing  of  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
Was  it  for  this  end,  do  you  think,  that  God  gave  you 
the  knowledge  of  his  truth,  to  which  others  are  stran¬ 
gers,  only  that  you  might  show  him  the  greater  indig¬ 
nity,  by  preferring  to  his  favor  your  reputation  1  Was 
the  light  of  life  kindled  within  you,  that  you  should  in¬ 
dustriously  conceal  it,  choosing  to  appear  dark  in  your 
understanding,  rather  than  bear  the  censure  or  ridicule 
of  those  who  you  well  know  are  enemies  to  the  light, 
only  because  their  deeds  are  evil!  Were  an  officer  to 
be  found  thus  ashamed  of  his  king  or  his  service,  how 
must  he  appear  1  yet  what  fidelity  does  he  owe  to  his 
king,  or  what  advantages  does  he  receive  in  his  service, 
worthy  to  be  named  with  the  benefits  God  pours  out 
upon  us  1  Hence  both  gratitude  and  justice  require  us  all, 
as  far  as  we  know  the  truth,  and  our  duty  towards  God, 
to  avoAv  religion,  and  not  to  be  ashamed  of  being  account¬ 
ed  righteous  over-much  by  those  who  neither  have,  nor 
can  bear,  more  than  the  senseless  form  of  godliness. 

Indeed,  unless  we  deny  ourselves,  and  in  a  manner 
suited  to  our  station  in  life  appear  open  advocates  for 
the  cause  of  God,  we  contribute  to  the  increase  of  wick¬ 
edness  ;  for  where  there  is  no  opposition,  sinners  both 
grow  bolder  and  multiply  the  faster.  What  all  men 
either  do  themselves,  or  express  no  abhorrence  against 
in  others,  it  is  naturally  concluded,  can  have  no  great 
harm  in  it:  thus  all  sense  of  the  necessity  of  real  reli¬ 
gion  is  banished  from  society,  and  profaneness,  from  its 
general  prevalency,  loses  its  guilt  in  the  judgment  of 
men.  But  such  a  general  prevalency  of  evil  would  be 
prevented  if  the  appearance  of  it  were  resolutely  checked 
by  a  disapproving  silence  and  cool  reserve  ;  or,  where 
age  and  condition  of  life  authorize  it,  by  an  open  rebuke 
This  would  serve  to  keep  up  the  distinction  between 


FEAR  OF  SUFFERING  FOR  CHRIST. 


345 


good  and  evil  $  this  would  remind  men  of  their  depend- 
ance  upon  God,  and  often  prove,  through  divine  grace, 
an  effectual  monitor  to  awaken  the  conscience  and  pro¬ 
duce  a  change  of  sentiments  and  manners.  But  if, 
through  a  mean  fear  of  injuring  our  paltry  reputation 
with  ungodly  men,  we  refuse  to  signify,  by  any  of  these 
methods,  our  sense  of  God’s  authority  and  government, 
of  his  hatred  to  sin,  and  his  love  of  Christian  holiness ; 
we  are  then  accessaries  to  the  abounding  of  iniquity,  we 
become  sharers  in  the  guilt  by  being  tame  spectators  of 
the  insult  offered  to  our  God,  and  by  listening,  without 
expressing  our  disapprobation,  to  the  hard  speeches 
which  ungodly  sinners  are  wont  to  speak  against  him. 

But  if  neither  a  sense  of  gratitude  nor  a  fear  of  con¬ 
tributing  to  the  propagation  of  iniquity  can  prevail  with 
us  to  overcome  our  natural  cowardice  in  the  cause  of 
God,  let  us  at  least  consider  the  destruction  it  will  bring 
upon  our  souls : — let  us  therefore  oppose  fear  to  fear, 
and  weigh  the  insufferable  pain  of  contempt  from  God 
and  angels,  against  the  shame  of  being  branded  for  reli¬ 
gion  here  before  men.  For  immediately  after  the  injunc¬ 
tion  of  that  self-denial,  without  which  it  is  impossible 
to  follow  Christ,  the  trying  instance  of  being  content  to 
lose  our  character  for  his  sake  is  pointed  out :  "  Whoso¬ 
ever  therefore  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  my  words  in 
this  adulterous  and  sinful  generation,  of  him  also  shall 
the  Son  of  man  be  ashamed  when  he  cometh  in  the  glo¬ 
ry  of  his  Father,  with  the  holy  angels.— But  whosoever 
shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.” — Mark,  8  :  38 ;  Matt.  10  :  33 

Self-denial  must  further  be  exercised  with  respect 
to  the  fear  of  suffering  for  the  sake  of  God  and  his 
truth.  In  the  inferior  ranks  of  life  all  persons  are  called, 
more  or  less,  to  this  exercise  through  their  necessary 
dependance  upon  the  rich.  For  when  a  person  begins 

15* 


346 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


business,  or  enters  upon  his  profession  of  law,  physio' 
or  divinity,  how  desirable  is  the  favor  of  the  great  and 
opulent  to  him !  To  have  their  smile,  to  be  admitted  a 
guest  at  their  table,  is  deemed  an  honor ;  and  whilst 
their  interest  procures  preferment,  their  custom  brings 
the  tradesman  the  largest  return  of  gain.  Hence  a  vio¬ 
lent  temptation  arises  to  be  esteemed  no  more  religious 
than  is  agreeable  to  the  rich,  or  their  principal  domes¬ 
tics,  on  whose  favor  so  much  depends.  Are  they,  there¬ 
fore,  profane  1  every  dependant  will  be  tempted  to  say, 
why  should  I  appear  a  friend  to  godliness  1  Are  they 
lewd  and  intemperate  1  why  should  I  hurt  my  interest 
by  refusing  to  join  with  them  in  excess  of  wine,  or  in 
lasciviousness,  or  by  appearing  to  condemn  such  vile 
practices'?  Should  conscience  remonstrate,  self-interest 
will  lead  a  man  industriously  to  stifle  every  conviction, 
afraid  of  losing  the  best  of  his  customers,  or  his  only 
patron  by  being  offensively  religious. 

Every  one  knows  how  much  the  principal  inhabitants 
in  all  places  keep  their  inferiors  in  awe  by  the  tie  of 
worldly  gain  ;  and  where  their  example  is  profane  they 
spread  on  every  side  a  dreadful  contagion. 

In  such  a  situation  Christian  self-denial  displays  its 
energy.  The  believer  will  dare  to  show  a  conscientious 
regard  to  the  law  and  truth  of  God  in  the  view  of  his 
superiors,  though  sensible  that  his  conduct  will  gall 
and  irritate.  Fear  of  poverty  will  not  make  him  belie 
his  better  judgment,  or  deny  his  God  in  order  to  gain 
favor  with  men.  And  whilst  discretion  and  humility  on 
one  hand  set  bounds  to  his  advice  or  reproof,  and  direct 
him  as  to  the  time  and  manner  of  applying  them ;  his 
fear  and  love  of  God,  on  the  other,  will  certainly  lead 
him  to  discover  his  true  character,  and  his  abhorrence 
of  all  iniquity. 

The  weight  which  eternal  things  have  upon  the  be¬ 
liever’s  mind,  the  sting  which  he  has  often  felt  in  his 


PRIDE  OF  REASON. 


347 


conscience  for  seeming  to  approve  what  God  condemns, 
the  express  command  to  make  a  public  profession  of 
godliness,  and  the  disinterested  manner  in  which  the 
Redeemer  has  suffered  to  purchase  his  everlasting  salva¬ 
tion,  all  join  their  influence,  and  are  of  great  force  to 
enable  him  to  risk  the  loss  of  all  things,  rather  than  be 
'  ashamed  of  God  and  his  word. 

Now  though  such  an  opposition  to  custom,  and  to  our 
natural  fear  of  suffering  in  our  worldly  circumstances, 
extremely  terrifies  the  mind  of  man ;  yet  those  who 
deny  themselves,  and  forsake  all,  leaving  it  to  God  in 
the  way  of  diligence  and  truth  to  provide  for  them, 
generally  prosper  even  in  this  world.  And  no  won¬ 
der  5  for  they  are  heirs  of  that  all-sufficient  promise, 
u  Wherefore  come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye 
separate,  and  I  will  receive  you ;  and  I  will  be  a  Father 
unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith 
the  Lord  Almighty.”  2  Cor.  6  :  17,  18.  And  if  any 
man,  professing  himself  a  Christian,  dare  not  thus  rely 
upon  God  for  a  temporal  provision,  when  it  seems  to  be 
endangered  by  his  adherence  to  duty,  it  is  certain  that 
man  can  place  no  trust  in  his  God  for  eternal  salvation ; 
but  whilst  he  makes  professions  of  believing  in  God  he 
is  an  infidel  in  his  heart.  Nay,  further,  he  entertains 
an  idea  of  the  character  of  God,  such  as  if  any  one  were 
to  conceive  of  himself  he  would  esteem  most  degrad¬ 
ing,  viz.  that  God  can  unconcerned  see  his  own  chil¬ 
dren  brought  into  distress  through  a  dutiful  attachment 
to  him,  when  all  power  is  in  his  hand  to  reward  and 
bless  such  fidelity.  Such  a  God  as  this,  thou  fearful 
unbelieving  professor !  thou  conceivest  the  God  of 
heaven  and  earth  to  be. 

Self-denial  must  likewise  be  exercised  with  respect 
to  the  pride  of  reason  in  submitting  without  disputing  to 
the  written  word  of  God.  A  kind  of  restraint  this  no 


348 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


less  difficult  for  men  of  superior  understanding  to  prac 
tise  than  for  the  sensual  to  be  chaste,  or  the  covetous 
charitable.  Yet,  in  requiring  such  submission  to  his  bare 
authority,  God  requires  from  us  nothing  unreasonable ; 
because  the  objects  he  reveals  to  us  are  both  above  hu¬ 
man  comprehension,  and  at  present  only  revealed  in 
part.  "We  preach  (saith  the  apostle)  the  wisdom  of 
God  in  a  mystery and  therefore,  the  doctrines  of 
Scripture  must  not  be  rejected  under  a  pretence  that 
they  surpass  our  comprehension.  Instead  of  indulging, 
we  must  repel  that  insolent  inquiry,  "  How  can  these 
things  be  1”  For,  as  ignorant  creatures,  it  is  our  duty, 
and  as  Christians,  our  profession  to  rest  satisfied  with 
what  God  has  declared  to  be  the  truth.  When  this  de¬ 
claration  is  once  known,  we  are  to  shut  our  eyes  against 
numberless  difficulties  relating  to  the  truth,  which  hu¬ 
man  wit  or  human  ignorance  may  start.  This  is  our 
duty,  though  infinitely  mortifying  to  the  proud  and  arro¬ 
gant.  This  is  also  rational :  for  how  can  any  one  reason¬ 
ably  deny  that  to  be  true,  if  it  involves  no  palpable  con¬ 
tradiction,  which  hath  this  decisive  evidence,  that  God 
in  his  revelation  has  declared  it  1  And  how  can  any  one 
be  sure  that  there  is  a  real  contradiction  in  things 
which  it  is  confessed  he  cannot  thoroughly  compre¬ 
hend  1  Though  reason,  therefore,  is  of  signal  service 
in  teaching  us  to  a  certain  degree  the  knowledge  of 
causes  and  effects ;  and,  within  its  proper  limits,  is 
never  to  be  disparaged ;  yet,  when  it  is  puffed  up  with  a 
false  conceit  of  its  own  power,  it  must  be  denied  no 
less  than  any  other  depraved  part  of  our  nature.  Other¬ 
wise  we  shall  soon  think  ourselves  at  liberty  to  disdain 
implicit  faith  even  in  God  himself.  Instead  of  proving 
doctrines  to  be  unscriptural,  it  will  lead  us  to  urge 
their  apparent  absurdity  as  sufficient  reason  to  reject 
them.  Thus  one  part  of  revealed  truth  after  another 
will  be  renounced :  first  the  Trinity,  then  the  doctrine 


PRIDE  OF  REASON. 


349 


of  Christ’s  atonement,  next  our  fall  and  natural  corrup¬ 
tion  ;  till  at  length  there  is  nothing  in  the  Bible  allowed 
to  be  true  but  what  a  pagan  might  subscribe  and  a  deist 
receive. 

If  it  should  be  said,  such  implicit  obedience  will  ex 
pose  us  to  receive  real  absurdities  under  a  pretence  of 
reverence  for  the  authority  of  God  $  the  answer  is  ob¬ 
vious.  A  distinction  must  be  made  between  our  obedi¬ 
ence  before  we  are  persuaded  the  Bible  is  the  word  of 
God,  and  after.  Before  this  firm  conviction,  the  human 
understanding  is  bound  to  canvass,  and  put  to  the  se¬ 
verest  trial  all  the  witnesses  which  demonstrate  Jesus  to 
be  the  Christ,  and  the  Bible  to  be  the  revelation  of  God. 
Every  man  of  capacity  for  this  work  should  do  this ; 
because  these  proofs  depend  on  incontestible  maxims, 
and  make  their  appeal  concerning  facts  to  the  faculty 
of  judgment  which  is  less  impaired  by  the  sin  of  the 
fall  than  any  other. 

During  the  whole  time,  therefore,  that  these  outward 
evidences  are  under  consideration,  reason  is  to  act  in 
the  full  exercise  of  her  powers.  But  when  once  the 
Scripture  record  is  received,  as  it  always  must  be,  if 
men  inquire  honestly,  it  immediately  claims  an  abso¬ 
lute  submission.  Then  should  reason  offer  to  cavil  at 
any  thing  contained  in  the  book  which  it  acknowledges 
to  be  of  God,  it  is  self-condemned.  Because  it  is  the 
height  of  arrogance  to  urge  our  want  of  comprehending 
the  fitness  of  what  is  taught  against  the  veracity  of  an 
infallible  teacher.  On  the  contrary,  it  immediately  be¬ 
comes  the  highest  act  of  reason  wholly  to  rely  upon 
the  testimony  of  Scripture,  and  to  receive  implicitly 
all  it  declares. 

That  it  is  the  duty  of  a  Christian  in  this  manner  to  mor¬ 
tify  his  intellectual  pride,  there  are  many  Scriptures  to 
prove.  To  this  purpose  is  that  remarkable  declaration 
of  God,  "  I  will  destroy  the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  and 


350 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


will  bring  to  nothing  the  understanding  of  the  prudent. 
Where  is  the  wise  1  where  is  the  scribe  %  where  is  the 
disputer  of  this  world  ?  hath  not  God  made  foolish  the 
wisdom  of  this  world  V’  1  Cor  1  :  19,  20.  To  the  same 
purpose  is  that  positive  assertion  of  the  absolute  con¬ 
trariety  of  Scripture  truth  to  what  the  wisest  men  in 
their  natural  state  conceive  is  fit  for  God  to  reveal  $ 
"  The  wisdom  of  God  is  foolishness^  to  men.”  In  con¬ 
firmation  of  the  same  doctrine,  so  mortifying  to  the 
pride  of  the  human  understanding,  our  Savior,  we  are 
assured,  rejoiced  in  spirit  that  whilst  men  who  idolized 
their  own  reason  were  incapable  of  beholding  the  truth 
of  God,  those  who  submitted  their  understanding  to  him 
enjoyed  the  unspeakable  blessing  of  it.  "I  thank  thee, 
O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast 
hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast 
revealed  them  unto  babes ;”  that  is,  to  such  as  with 
humble  acquiescence,  like  little  children,  receive  what 
is  taught  them  of  God.  Matt.  11  :  25. 

St.  Paul  inculcates  the  same  denial  of  intellectual 
self,  when  he  declares,  "If  any  man  think  himself  wise, 
let  him  become  a  fool,”  (that  is,  in  his  own  estimation, 
as  much  in  need  of  teaching,)  "that  he  may  be  wise.” 
With  the  same  view  he  assures  us  that  the  effect  of  the 
apostolic  preaching,  wherever  it  succeeded  to  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  the  hearer,  was  to  "  cast  down  imaginations  ” 
corrupt  reasonings ;  corrupt  because  impious, 
where  the  word  of  God  has  once  decided)  "  and  every 
high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  to  bring  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the 
obedience  of  Christ.”  2  Cor.  10  :  5. 

Such  Scriptures  evidently  control  that  sceptical  and 
daring  spirit  which  too  many  dignify  as  the  privilege 
and  just  exercise  of  reason.  Nor  would  such  Scriptures 
have  been  given  to  us,  unless  we  had  a  propensity,  when 
we  possess  an  understanding  or  learning  superior  to 


SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. 


351 


others,  to  make  a  creed  for  ourselves ;  when  in  fact  we 
can  know  nothing  of  the  things  of  God  hut  as  we  are 
taught  them  by  himself.  Against  this  pride  of  reason 
believers  must  be  constantly  upon  their  guard,  and  not 
dare,  through  difficulties  which  may  be  started,  to  dis¬ 
pute  or  question  the  plain  doctrine  of  God’s  word 

Now  the  absolute  necessity  of  this  submission  of  the 
understanding  to  the  authority  of  God’s  revelation  is 
most  evident.  A  man  cannot  be  a  Christian  without  it, 
since  all  the  doctrines  which  by  way  of  distinction  are 
called  Christian,  have  confessedly  great  difficulties  in 
them.  From  our  fall  in  Adam,  to  the  complete  salva¬ 
tion  of  the  soul  by  Christ  at  the  last  day,  there  is 
abundant  room  for  cavil,  if  men  choose  to  erect  them¬ 
selves  into  judges  upon  the  counsel  of  God.  A  small 
degree  of  wit  with  much  pride  will  furnish  out  endless 
matter  for  arraigning  the  Scripture  in  the  account  of 
the  origin  of  our  misery ;  in  the  character  it  gives  of 
the  Redeemer  and'  his  incarnation ;  in  the  way  of  re¬ 
ceiving  benefit  from  him ;  in  the  Spirit’s  influence  on 
the  heart ;  in  the  penalty  denounced  upon  every  degree 
of  disobedience,  and  the  punishment  of  the  damned. 
These  several  important  articles  of  our  creed,  which 
are  the  very  soul  of  Christianity,  must  be  received 
upon  the  mere  credit  of  their  voucher,  the  word  of 
God.  And  those  who  disdain  to  be  persuaded  by  such 
evidence,  do  in  fact  give  up  the  faith  of  Christ,  though 
it  may  be  convenient  for  them  to  retain  the  name  of 
Christian,  and  to  remain  in  the  bosom  of  Christ’s  church. 

Lastly,  self-denial  must  be  exercised  -with  respect  to 
our  opinion  of  our  own  righteousness ;  a  severer  in¬ 
stance  of  mortification  to  us  all  than  any  yet  mentioned. 
But  it  must  be  submitted  to.  Whatever  our  good  qua¬ 
lities  are,  we  must  confess  ourselves  criminals  before 
God,  whose  condemnation  would  be  inevitable,  should 


352 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


he  execute  justice  instead  of  showing  compassion  to¬ 
wards  us.  How  is  it  possible  we  can  honor  the  sacrifice 
of  Chr  st  on  the  cross,  as  God.  would  have  it  honored, 
if  we  imagine  our  goodness  can  absolve  us  from  guilt  1 
how  can  we  fly  for  refuge  to  the  Savior,  unless  our 
hearts  condemn  us  as  lost,  without  his  merit  1  or  how 
abide  in  this  city  of  refuge,  unless  we  perceive  our¬ 
selves  exposed  to  the  avenger  of  blood  1  How  can  we 
bow  down  in  self-abasing  gratitude  to  God  for  imputing 
to  us  the  righteousness  of  another,  if  we  renounce  not 
our  own  as  utterly  insufficient  to  answer  for  us!  how 
place  our  full  dependence  on  the  beloved  of  the  Father 
for  acceptance  through  him,  unless  we  are  conscious 
of  the  defilement  of  our  corrupt  nature  cleaving  to  us 
to  the  very  last  moment  of  life  on  earth,  and  rendering 
us  in  ourselves  unworthy  of  notice  from  God  1 

Upon  all  these  accounts  it  is  a  necessary  part  of 
Christian  self-denial  to  renounce  all  confidence  in  our 
own  virtues  and  attainments,  as  if  they  could  justify  us 
in  the  sight  of  God,  or  bear  the  trial  of  his  holy  law. 
This  kind  of  self-denial,  directly  opposite  to  every 
earth-born  system  of  religion,  is  the  essence  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus.  And  though  this  very  humbling  es¬ 
timation  of  our  moral  excellence  be  most  difficult  to 
attain,  yet  Scripture,  both  by  example  and  doctrine, 
strongly  urges  it  upon  us.  Thus  Job,  in  the  bitterness 
of  self-reproach,  cries  out,  "  Behold,  I  am  vile — I  abhor 
myself.”  Upon  inquiry  into  the  character  of  this  com- 
plainer  against  himself,  we  find  that  he  had  no  equal  in 
goodness  upon  the  whole  earth,  even  in  the  judgment 
of  tne  Omniscient ;  yet  the  fault  which  he  here  bewail¬ 
ed,  and  the  guilt  that  extorted  this  confession,  we  find 
to  have  been  too  high  an  opinion  of  his  own  character ; 
he  had  said,  ”  I  am  clean  without  transgression,  I  am 
innocent :  neither  is  there  iniquity  in  me.”  Job,  33  :  9. 
For  thus  over-rating  his  spiritual  attainments  Job  ab- 


SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. 


353 


hors  himself.  And  who,  after  Job,  that  receives  the 
Scripture  record,  shall  think  himself  less  sullied  in  his 
character,  or  less  defective  in  point  of  practical  holi¬ 
ness,  than  this  illustrious  servant  of  God'? 

What  Job  was  in  old  time,  St.  Paul  appears  to  have 
been  under  the  New  Testament.  For  who  in  labors  or 
in  sufferings  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  man ; 
who,  in  purity  of  heart  and  extensive  usefulness,  was  to 
be  compared  to  him  1  Yet  so  far  was  this  most  distin¬ 
guished  saint  from  confiding  in  his  own  goodness  as  a  fit 
object  of  the  divine  complacency,  that  he  mentions  both 
what  he  had  attained  in  moral  and  religious  obedience, 
and  what  he  had  suffered  for  Christ’s  sake,  on  purpose 
that  he  might  pour  contempt  upon  it  all ;  that  he  might 
call  it  "  lo  ss  and  dung,”  in  comparison  of  being  found 
in  Christ  j  ”  not  having  his  own  righteousness,  which  is 
of  the  law,” — that  is,  not  trusting  in  .his  own  personal 
obedience  for  justification  before  God  5  but  having  that 
righteousness  "  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the 
righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith.”  Phil.  3  :  9. 

What  these  and  others  of  the  most  excellent  of  the 
earth,  by  their  own  confession  declare  in  disparagement 
of  human  righteousness,  as  a  title  to  justification  before 
God,  or  as  a  ground  of  self-conceit,  is  confirmed  by  many 
places  of  Scripture.  Thus  the  poor  and  needy  are  re¬ 
presented  as  the  only  objects  of  the  Redeemer’s  grace, 
Psalm  72 :  13,  whilst  the  good  and  virtuous  in  their  own 
sight  are  scattered  in  the  proud  imaginations  of  their 
hearts,  and  sent  empty  away.  Luke,  1:51.  Lowliness  of 
mind,  in  the  estimation  of  our  own  obedience,  is  de¬ 
scribed  as  the  only  temper  becoming  our  Christian  pro¬ 
fession  ;  whilst  the  haughtiness  which  prompts  men  to 
plead  their  own  righteousness  as  a  title  to  God’s  favor 
is  exposed  as  the  cause  of  excluding  from  salvation 
those  who  had  even  a  zeal  for  God.  Rom.  10. 

Both  by  doctrine  and  example,  therefore,  the  disciple 


354, 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


of  Jesus  is  led  to  call  himself  vile  in  the  midst  of  his 
highest  attainments,  and  constantly  to  regard  himself 
as  a  needy,  impotent  vessel  of  mercy,  who  has  nothing 
to  delight  in  but  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  no  ground 
of  confidence  towards  God  but  His  righteousness  only. 

Such  is  Christian  self-denial:  compare  it  in  this  ex* 
tensive  view  with  what  either  enthusiasm  or  supersti¬ 
tion  have,  under  that  name,  enjoined,  and  the  contrast  is 
striking  indeed !  How  frivolous  and  weak  is  it  to  make 
self-denial  consist  merely  in  the  shape  or  color  of  our 
clothes,  in  demure  looks  and  precise  behavior,  or  ab¬ 
staining  only  from  fashionable  diversions  !  These  things 
hypocrites  may  do,  and  shine  as  patterns  of  such  morti¬ 
fication,  whilst  self,  in  its  worst  tempers,  is  fully  indulg¬ 
ed.  The  self-denial  which  stern  superstition  enjoins,  is 
worse :  it  imprisons  for  life  men  and  women,  endued 
with  active  powers,  and  formed  for  society  ,*  it  makes 
them  move  like  clock-work  in  a  round  of  religious  rites  } 
it  clothes  them  with  sackcloth,  and  orders  them  to  prac¬ 
tise  many  useless  severities  upon  the  body  ,*  it  calls 
them  to  desert  the  station  in  which  Providence  had  fixed 
their  lot,  and  buries  even  the  excellencies  they  have  in 
a  cloister  and  a  cell. 

Examined  by  the  rule  of  Scripture,  how  mistaken, 
how  pitiable,  how  unprofitable  is  the  zeal  of  such  devo¬ 
tees  ! — On  the  contrary,  what  a  correct  understanding, 
what  fortitude  of  mind,  what  personal  and  public  bene¬ 
fits  are  conspicuous  in  Christian  self-denial !  It  teaches 
us  to  use  the  abundance  of  meats  and  drinks  given  us  by 
divine  bounty,  without  any  abuse  of  them  ;  thus  con¬ 
fronting  by  our  example,  and  severely  condemning,  all 
excess.  It  is  the  source  and  guardian  of  domestic  peace 
and  happiness.  It  enables  us  to  carry  on  trade  without 
covetousness,  though  every  incitement  to  that  sordid 
passion  surround  us.  In  the  reciprocal  exercise  of  ten- 


SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. 


355 


der  affection  between  dearest  relations  and  friends,  it 
secures  the  supreme  love  of  the  heart  for  God.  It  em¬ 
boldens  us  to  avow  his  cause,  and  adhere  to  it,  in  con¬ 
tempt  of  our  worldly  interest,  our  honor,  and  our  cha¬ 
racter.  It  teaches  us  to  sacrifice  our  prying  curiosity- 
and  our  desire  of  comprehending  fully  the  truths  of  God 
before  we  believe  them,  to  the  veneration  we  owe  his 
oracles.  And  after  an  intrepid  venture  of  all  for  his 
sake,  it  teaches  us,  instead  of  eyeing  with  self-compla¬ 
cency  our  moral  excellence,  to  cry,  "Enter  not  into 
judgment  wffth  thy  servant,  O  Lord  1” 

This  extensive,  most  noble  self-denial,  is  sufficient. 
Away  then  with  the  unnatural  life  of  the  convent ;  away 
with  the  inventions  of  will-worship,  total  solitude,  hair 
shirts,  iron  girdles,  and  the  coarsest  food ;  away  with 
whimsical  singularities  in  dress,  and  the  fashion  of  the 
exterior  man,  which  enthusiasts  so  violently  press.  It  is 
far  severer  self-denial  to  mortify  every  evil  and  corrupt 
desire  natural  to  the  heart.  It  is  more  courageous  to  fight 
till  we  die,  than  flee  from  the  battle.  It  is  mofe  profita¬ 
ble  to  mankind  to  shine,  a  light  before  their  eyes,  than 
to  be  immured  with  a  select  company,  as  if  piety  could 
not  live  in  the  commerce  of  the  world.  And  it  is  infi¬ 
nitely  more  for  the  glory  of  Christ,  that  the  new  heart 
and  new  spirit  which  he  hath  given  should  be  known 
and  seen  of  all  men,  than  be  buried  in  perpetual  conceal¬ 
ment.  Most  useful,  honorable,  and  excellent  are  they 
who  deny  all  the  cravings  of  corrupt  self  in  the  midst 
of  forbidden  objects.  They,  and  they  alone,  prove  the 
efficacy  of  the  Savior’s  prayer  in  their  behalf :  "  Father, 
take  them  not  out  of  the  world,  but  keep  them  from  the 
evil.” 


356 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


OJW  1'UJZ. 


ITS  OBJECT,  NATURE  AND  SUBJECT. 

Whenever  the  practice  and  spirit  essential  to  believ 
ers  in  Christ  Jesus  are  explained,  many,  instead  of  at¬ 
tempting  to  come  up  to  them,  object, — If  these  be  ab¬ 
solutely  requisite,  who  then  shall  be  saved  I  But  there 
is  really  no  place  for  this  desponding  objection  in  the 
Christian  scheme  ;  because,  though  the  natural  weakness 
and  corruption  of  man  is  much  greater  than  such  object¬ 
ors  believe,  still  all  the  obedience  required  as  the  fruit 
of  faith,  grows  from  a  root  which  is  able  to  produce  it : 
for  such  light,  power  and  consolation  are  promised  by 
God  to  all  who  properly  seek  them,  as  are  adequate 
to  maintain  all  Christian  graces  in  the  measure  indis¬ 
pensably  required. 

The  means  which  must  be  used  diligently  in  order  to 
obtain  the  continuance  of  these  supernatural  supplies, 
are  by  way  of  distinction  called  Devotional  Duties :  and 
they  are  so  essential  to  religion,  that  it  cannot  subsist 
without  them.  Their  importance  is  indeed  generally 
allowed,  yet  through  sad  abuse  these  exercises  are  fre¬ 
quently  turned  into  a  mere  religious  formality,  by  which 
God  is  dishonored,  nominal  Christians  lulled  into  a  false 
peace,  and  the  profane  hardened  in  their  contempt  of 
devotion. 

To  guard  against  this  errror,  so  pernicious  to  the 
Christian  church,  I  shall  treat  at  large  of  the  nature  of 
devotional  duties,  and  the  proper  method  of  discharging 
them  ;  principally  confining  myself  to  treat  of  secret 


ON  PRAYER. 


357 


prayer  and  reading  the  word  of  God  j  leaving  it  to  the 
reader  to  apply  what  is  said  of  them  to  the  public  ordi¬ 
nances  and  means  of  grace. 

1.  With  respect  to  prayer,  the  object  of  it  is  God  only. 
The  end  of  prayer  is  to  obtain  deliverance  or  preserva¬ 
tion  from  evil,  or  the  possession  and  continuance  of 
good.  Our  application,  therefore,  must  be  made  to  Him 
who  is  the  almighty  Source  of  every  good  and  perfect 
gift ;  who  orders  all  things  according  to  the  counsel  of 
his  own  will  $  who,  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  can  com¬ 
pletely  bless  us ;  and  without  whose  favor  every  being 
in  the  whole  creation,  though  leagued  in  our  defence, 
could  afford  us  no  protection.  He  also  to  whom  pray¬ 
er  is  addressed  must  be  omniscient  and  omnipresent. 
Otherwise,  how  is  it  possible  that,  amidst  so  many  con¬ 
stant  supplicants,  none  should  be  overlooked ;  amidst  so 
many  millions  of  petitions  offered  up  in  the  same  in¬ 
stant  throughout  the  world,  none  be  lost ;  amidst  such 
a  numberless  variety  of  complicated  cases  the  things 
best  for  each  individual,  and  those  only,  should  be  con 
ferred.  The  most  transcendant  mercy  and  love  also 
ought  to  be  inherent  in  Him  to  whom  we  offer  our 
prayers,  in  order  to  forgive  our  sins,  to  overcome  our 
fears,  and  to  encourage  our  petitions,  conscious  as  we 
must  be  of  our  own  vileness,  even  in  our  happiest  ap¬ 
proaches  to  him. 

It  thus  appears  from  the  nature  of  things  that  God 
alone  can,  on  account  of  his  essential  perfections,  be 
the  object  of  true  prayer.  We  find  him,  therefore,  con¬ 
stantly  represented  in  Scripture  under  this  most  glo¬ 
rious  character:  "Praise  waiteth  for  thee,  O  God,  in 
Sion ;  and  unto  thee  shall  the  vow  be  performed.  O 
thou  that  hearest  prayer,  unto  thee  shall  all  flesh  come.” 
Psalm  65  :  1,  2.  "I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt 
have  none  other  gods  hut  me :  thou  shalt  not  make  to 
thyself  any  graven  image,  nor  the  likeness  of  any  thing 


358 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


that  is  in  heaven  above,  nor  in  the  earth  beneath,  nor  in 
the  water  under  the  earth :  thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
to  them,  nor  worship  them;  for  I,  the  Lord  thy  God, 
am  a  jealous  God.”  Exod.  20  :  2-5. 

A  truth  this  so  plain,  so  important,  and  so  often  re¬ 
peated  in  Scripture,  that  it  calls  for  our  astonishment  as 
well  as  our  lamentation  to  see  the  monstrous  corrup¬ 
tion  of  worship  introduced  by  popish  innovations.  Pa¬ 
pists,  instead  of  making  God  the  only  object  of  their 
trust,  have,  besides  him,  innumerable  angels  and  saints 
in  heaven,  in  whom,  they  tell  us,  we  are  to  repose  confi¬ 
dence  ;  to  whom  we  are  to  address  our  prayers,  not  only 
for  temporal  blessings,  but  for  the  pardon  of  our  sins, 
for  our  increase  of  grace,  and  even  for  the  gift  of  eter¬ 
nal  life.  They  tell  us,  that  there  are  in  heaven  particu¬ 
lar  advocates  for  all  exigencies  and  occasions,  protec¬ 
tors  against  all  sorts  of  dangers  and  diseases,  patrons 
for  all  graces  and  virtues.  They  tell  us  that  we  are  to 
apply  to  these  patrons,  without  troubling  God  and  the 
Redeemer*  who  is  God  over  all,  blessed  for  ever,  by  pre¬ 
suming  upon  every  occasion  to  make  our  immediate 
address  to  him. 

In  full  confutation  of  this  horrid  superstition,  it  is 
enough  to  know  what  perfections  are  requisite  in  him 
who  is  the  proper  object  of  our  prayer.  For,  if  almighty 
power,  omniscience,  omnipresence,  and  the  most  trans¬ 
cendent  mercy,  be  essential  to  such  an  object,  then 
what  can  be  more  absurd  or  more  impious  than  to  call 
on  those  for  help,  who  by  nature  are  no  gods  ;  who  are 
so  limited  in  the  excellencies  imparted  to  them,  as  to  be 
necessarily  incapable  of  knowing  wrhat  we  want,  or  of 
bestowing  what  we  ask  I 

To  follow  exactly  the  Scripture  plan,  as  we  ought  to 
do,  the  tenor  of  our  prayer  should  be  generally*  ad- 

*  I  say  generally ,  for  there  are  numerous  instances  of  prayer  ad- 


ON  PRAYER. 


359 


dressed  to  the  Father,  in  dependence  upon  the  merit 
and  intercession  of  the  Son,  and  the  influence  and  grace 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

By  this  manner  of  address  the  distinct  part  which 
each  person  of  the  blessed  and  undivided  Trinity  bears 
in  the  salvation  of  sinners  is  justly  acknowledged  5  and 
the  inviolable  holiness  of  God,  and  our  guilt,  even  after 
ail  we  have  done  or  received,  are  most  forcibly  repre¬ 
sented.  These  are  points  of  such  moment,  that  all 
Scripture  labors  to  impress  them  on  our  minds. 

2.  Now  as  God  is  the  only  object  of  prayer,  so  its 
nature  consists  in  offering  up  to  him  the  wants  of  the 
heart.  Without  this,  the  best  chosen  petitions,  punc¬ 
tually  repeated  morning  and  evening  out  of  a  book,  or 
the  most  fluent  addresses  in  language  of  our  own  con¬ 
ception,  are  no  more  than  the  mimicry  of  prayer :  a 
sort  of  devotion,  which  pride  and  self-sufficiency  can 
practise  ;  on  which  formality  and  superstition  can  erect 
their  absurd  pretences  to  religion,  whilst  the  spirit  and 
the  truth  of  prayer  are  unexperienced  and  neglected 
For  as  the  needy  only  can  stoop  to  ask  the  relief  of 
alms,  so  then  only  can  we  begin  to  pray  when  we  feel 
ourselves  necessitous ;  when  we  long  to  receive  from 
God  what  we  beg  of  him,  knowing  that  without  the 
gift  of  it  we  must  be  miserable. 

This  sensibility  of  our  real  want,  both  scriptural  re¬ 
presentations  and  scriptural  examples  prove  to  be  essen¬ 
tial  to  true  prayer.  Scriptural  representations  instruct 

dressed  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  disciples  prayed  to  him,  “  Lord,  in¬ 
crease  our  faith — the  dying  malefactor,  to  save  his  soul.  Stephen, 
with  his  dying  breath,  commended  himself  into  his  hands.  Paul  be¬ 
sought  him  thrice  to  take  away  the  thorn  in  his  flesh,  and  styles  him 
Lord  over  all,  rich  in  mercy  to  all  that  call  upon  him  ;  for,  whoso¬ 
ever  calleth  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  These  are  pre* 
cedents  (never  to  be  set  aside)  proving  that  each  member  of.  the 
Christian  church  may  and  will  say,  as  Thomas  did  unto  Jesus,  “  My 
Lord  and  my  God.” 


360 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


us  thus  :  "  If  thou  shalt  seek  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt 
find  him ;  if  thou  seekest  him  with  all  thy  heart  and  with 
all  thy  soul.”  Deut.  4  :  29.  "  Trust  in  him  at  all  times; 
ye  people,  pour  out  your  hearts  before  him.”  Psalm  62 : 
8.  "  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  him, 
to  all  that  call  upon  him  in  truth.”  Psalm  145  :  18. 
When  the  inspired  Solomon  exhorts  us  to  pray  for  spi¬ 
ritual  wisdom,  he  takes  care  to  mark,  with  the  utmost 
energy  of  expression,  the  need  we  must  at  the  same 
time  feel  of  it  in  our  hearts :  "  If  thou  criest,”  says  he, 
"  after  knowledge,  and  liftest  up  thy  voice  for  under¬ 
standing  ;  if  thou  seekest  her  as  silver,  and  searchest 
for  her  as  for  hid  treasures.”  Prov.  2  :  3,  4.  The  same 
feeling  of  our  wants  our  Lord  points  out  as  essential 
to  prayer,  describing  it  by  the  united  terms  of  asking, 
seeking,  knocking  ;  terms  most  expressive  of  an  urgent 
need  of  immediate  succor.  And  St.  James  leads  us  to 
the  very  same  conception  of  the  thing,  by  ascribing 
success  to  " fervent ”  prayer.  James,  5  :  16. 

What  the  Scripture  thus  defines  to  be  prayer,  is  fully 
illustrated  by  the  practice  of  the  most  approved  ser¬ 
vants  of  God.  They  were  penetrated  with  a  feeling  of 
their  necessities  when  they  came  before  the  throne 
of  grace.  "  With  my  whole  heart,”  says  one,  have  I 
sought  thy  favor.  "  Evening,  and  morning,  and  at  noon, 
will  I  pray,”  says  David,  "  and  thou  shalt  hear  my 
voice.”  Another  makes  his  supplication  with  all  the 
heartfelt  importunity  of  a  distressed  petitioner;  "Out 
of  the  depths  have  I  cried  unto  thee,  O  Lord:  Lord, 
hear  my  voice.  O  let  thine  ears  be  attentive  to  the 
voice  of  my  supplication.”  In  the  address  also  of  Daniel 
the  greatly  beloved,  every  syllable  breathes  a  sense  of 
want,  which  scarce  knows  how  to  hear  with  denial  or 
delay ;  "  O  Lord,”  says  he,  "  hear,  0  Lord,  forgive,  O 
Lord,  hearken  and  do,  defer  not,  for  thy  name’s  sake, 
O  my  God.” 


ON  PRAYER. 


361 


From  this  scriptural  representation  of  prayer,  that  it 
is  the  want  of  the  heart  offered  up  to  God,  it  appears 
plain  that  all  men  naturally  stand  upon  a  level  with  re¬ 
spect  to  theiy  ability  of  praying  truly.  Outward  circum¬ 
stances  in  this  case  make  no  difference.  The  ignorant 
clown  and  the  polished  scholar,  those  who  have  been 
most  piously  trained,  and  those  who  have  been  misera¬ 
bly  neglected  in  their  education,  those  who  have  been 
restrained  from  sinful  excesses,  and  those  who  have 
plunged  the  deepest  into  them,  remain  alike  without  the 
grace  of  God,  strangers  to  real  prayer.  Notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  grossest  ignorance,  the  worst  education,  and 
the  most  profligate  life,  yet  as  soon  as  the  guilt,  the 
strength  and  tyranny  of  sin  are  felt  to  oppress  the  soul, 
we  flee  to  God  for  refuge ;  and  prayers  and  cries,  like 
incense,  will  ascend  up  before  him  from  the  troubled 
and  the  humbled  heart.  On  the  contrary,  if  the  guilt, 
the  strength,  and  defilement  of  sin  are  not  felt  and  la¬ 
mented,  neither  learning,  nor  the  most  pious  education, 
nor  abstinence  from  every  gross  vice,  though  united, 
can  create  the  least  measure  of  the  spirit  of  prayer.  In 
many  instances  these  advantages  flatter  and  blind  with 
their  specious  appearance,  instead  of  producing  any 
just  sensibility  of  the  guilt  of  sin,  or  any  alarming  ap¬ 
prehension  of  its  issue,  unless  pardoned  and  subdued. 
In  fact,  all  true  knowledge  and  just  apprehensions  of 
sin,  wherever  found,  are  owing  to  an  infinitely  higher 
cause  :  they  are  the  effect  of  a  firm  belief  in  God’s  word 
declaring  the  sinfulness  of  sin,  and  of  a  heart  humbled 
so  as  to  plead  guilty  to  the  charge  of  it.  But  this  firm 
belief  of  God’s  word,  and  this  conviction  of  sin,  are  in 
no  instance  the  fruits  of  education,  much  less  the  effect 
of  learning,  but  the  inestimable  gift  of  God ;  gifts  no 
sooner  received  than  all  impediments  to  prayer  are  re¬ 
moved  Want  will  immediately  make  the  stammering 
tongue  of  the  most  unlearned,  or  of  those  who  have 

Duty  of  Mau.  1^ 


362 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


been  in  time  past  the  most  abominably  wicked,  speak 
plain  enough  in  the  ears  of  God.  Want  will  make  the 
heart,  which  was  before  too  gross  to  perceive  any  ex¬ 
cellency  in  the  things  of  God,  seek  after  them  with 
strong  cries  and  lasting  importunity.  And  whatever  dif- 
f?rence  a  good  understanding,  a  pious  education,  or  ge¬ 
neral  abstinence  from  vice  (which  are,  on  other  ac¬ 
counts,  invaluable  blessings)  may  make  in  the  matter 
of  confession,  in  the  degrees  of  guilt,  or  in  the  choice 
of  devout  phrases  5  still  the  prayer,  by  which  God  is 
honored  and  the  soul  blessed,  will  be  exactly  the  same 
in  the  less  sinner  as  in  the  greater,  in  the  poor  as  in 
the  rich,  in  the  very  lowest  and  weakest  of  the  people, 
,  as  in  the  most  accomplished  preacher  of  God’s  truth 
May  this  scriptural  account  of  the  nature  of  true 
prayer  undeceive  those  who  presume  that  they  stand 
accepted  with  God,  merely  on  account  of  their  multi¬ 
plying  exercises  of  devotion;  whilst  at  the  same  time, 
instead  of  feeling  themselves  the  poor,  guilty,  impotent 
creatures  their  own  prayers  represent  them  to  be,  they 
swell  with  conceit  of  superior  excellence,  or  fan6y  them¬ 
selves  righteous,  because  they  pray  so  punctually  aftei 
their  formal  manner !  May  this  encourage  all  who  are 
humble  and  contrite,  to  pour  out  their  complaints  be¬ 
fore  God  when  they  feel  their  own  vileness,  though 
their  utterance  and  their  knowledge  may  be  in  the  sight 
of  man  very  contemptible,  and  their  past  lives  may  have 
been  awfully  profligate !  May  this  also  convince  the 
poor,  that  there  can  be  no  excuse  more  frivolous  than 
to  pretend  they  cannot  pray,  because  destitute  of  book¬ 
learning  :  since,  in  fact,  nothing  but  contempt  of  God’s 
written  word,  nothing  but  a  denial  of  the  truth  of  our 
own  condition  as  represented  in  it,  can  leave  either 
learned  or  unlearned  under  such  hardness  of  heart,  as 
to  feel  no  want  of  the  grace,  mercy  and  salvation  of  God; 
and,  consequently,  to  remain  incapable  of  real  prayer. 


ON  PRAYER. 


363 


We  may  observe  further,  from  the  very  nature  of 
prayer,  as  it  means  the  offering  up  the  wants  of  the 
heart  to  God,  that  whenever  there  is  any  real  concern 
for  salvation,  it  cannot  be  confined  only  to  certain  set 
and  stated  times.  It  will  be  found  in  the  midst  of  our 
business,  and  when  we  are  in  company,  as  well  as  when 
we  are  alone,  and  have  retired  to  our  closet :  frequent 
ejaculations,  known  only  to  Him  who  searcheth  the 
heart,  will  discover  where  our  treasure  is,  and  will 
prove  that  we  feel  the  want  of  the  one  thing  needful. 

3.  From  the  nature  of  prayer  we  are  led  to  consider 
the  subject  of  it,  or  what  it  is  we  are  to  ask  of  God. 
Certainly  it  must  be  what  it  becomes  him  to  supply, 
what  we  are  warranted  by  his  own  word  to  request,  and 
assured  by  his  own  promise  either  absolutely,  or  with 
some  limitation,  that  he  will  grant. 

We  may  ask  temporal  blessings :  for  instance,  ease 
when  we  are  racked  with  pain,  health  when  taken  off 
from  our  employment  by  languishing  sickness,  or  main¬ 
tenance  when  we  are  left  destitute.  'We  may  ask  the 
continuance  of  our  own  lives  and  those  of  our  dearest 
relations  when  sick,  or  in  danger  of  death.  For  each 
of  these  benefits,  prayer  may  be  made  to  God,  because 
instances  of  each  kind  are  recorded  in  Scripture ;  be¬ 
cause  by  prayer  for  them  God  is  exalted  as  the  sove¬ 
reign  Lord  both  of  life  and  all  its  comforts  ;  our  depend- 
ance  upon  him  as  such  is  confirmed,  and  our  gratitude 
towards  him  is  increased. 

But  though  we  may  pray  for  any  of  these  benefits,  we 
must  always  do  it  with  entire  submission  to  the  will  of 
God,  whether  he  sees  it  best  to  give,  to  continue,  or 
remove  them.  We  should  always  remember  that  things 
of  this  kind  are  not  promised  without  limitation,  but 
only  upon  condition  that  they  are  for  our  good,  and  for 
the  glory  of  God.  We  should  ask  for  them  with  a  sense 
upon  our  hearts,  that  ease,  health,  maintenance,  friends, 


364 


COMPLETE  DUTV  OF  MAN. 


and  life  itself,  are  things  unspeakably  mean,  compared 
to  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings. 

Blessings  of  a  spiritual  and  eternal  nature  must  there¬ 
fore  make  up  the  principal  subject-matter  of  the  prayer 
of  Christians.  They  must  ask  for  more  knowledge  of  the 
Lord  that  bought  them,  for  more  dependance  upon  his 
name,  for  pardon  of  their  sins  through  his  blood,  morti¬ 
fication  of  their  vile  affections  through  his  Spirit,  and  a 
more  perfect  conformity  to  his  example. 

These  are  the  things  in  general  of  which  all  Chris¬ 
tians  feel  their  want ;  which  they  pursue  with  a  per¬ 
severing  ardor  of  mind,  and  wait  daily  upon  God  to  re¬ 
ceive  from  him  in  a  more  abundant  measure. 

But  besides  this  general  matter  of  prayer,  common 
to  the  whole  church  of  Christ,  each  private  believer 
finds  particular  matter  of  prayer  suggested  from  his 
own  peculiar  trials,  from  the  changing  frame  of  his  own 
mind,  and  from  the  appointments  of  God’s  providence 
in  his  external  condition.  Every  alteration  in  each  of 
these  particulars  produces  some  inward  correspondent 
change  in  the  man.  By  consequence,  as  real  prayer  is 
the  want  of  the  heart  offered  up  to  God,  the  matter  of 
prayer  which  may  be  very  proper  to-day,  may  be  quite 
unsuitable  to  our  case  to-morrow;  and  those  petitions 
which  in  certain  circumstances  were  sufficient,  in  op¬ 
posite  ones  will  be  found  deplorably  defective.  The  pri¬ 
vate  matter,  therefore,  of  prayer  in  Christians,  must  take 
its  mould  from  the  objects  and  occurrences  around  us, 
and  the  impressions  these  make  upon  us.  For,  as  dif¬ 
ferent  temptations  present  themselves,  different  will  bo 
the  inward  actings  of  corruption :  sometimes  they  will 
be  felt  in  the  risings  of  pride,  envy,  and  self-preference ; 
at  others,  in  discontent  and  peevishness ;  now  in  im¬ 
pure  desire  ;  then  in  the  love  of  money  or  of  praise, 
in  evil  surmisings  or  uncharitable  censures.  According 
to  these  frequent  and  most  important  variations,  our  pe- 


ON  PRAYER. 


365 


titions  must  be  adapted  for  pardon,  and  the  immediate 
succors  of  grace. 

Particular  assistances  are  also  needful  according  to 
our  station  in  life,  and  the  peculiar  snares  to  which  we 
are  from  thence  exposed.  The  rich  and  the  noble  are 
liable  to  dangers  peculiar  to  themselves ;  men  of  trade 
and  merchandise  have  very  much  to  fear  from  their  em¬ 
ployments  ;  whilst  pastors  and  teachers,  in  order  to  be 
innocent  and  pure  from  the  blood  of  those  committed 
to  their  charge,  stand  in  need  of  extraordinary  wisdom, 
zeal  and  love.  It  is  therefore  by  no  means  sufficient 
that  we  ask  chiefly  for  spiritual  blessings,  or  seek  in 
general  for  the  things  we  are  taught  to  ask,  and  which 
God  has  promised  to  give,  unless  we  also  particularly 
specify  what  we  want — unless  we  derive  our  petitions, 
not  only  from  the  Bible,  or  a  knowledge  of  the  things 
necessary  for  men,  but  from  our  own  sense  and  feeling 
for  if  the  state  of  our  hearts  does  not  thus  dictate  the 
matter  of  our  secret  prayer,  there  is  little  reason  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  our  corruptions  give  us  any  real  concern,  or 
that  they  are  confessed  with  true  humiliation.  If  they 
were,  we  should  so  feel  them  as  to  make  a  particular 
mention  of  them,  and  implore  forgiveness ;  and  little 
ground  is  there  to  hope  those  iniquities  will  be  subdued 
in  us,  which  do  not  appear  odious  enough  to  ourselves 
to  excite  particular  requests  to  God  to  be  delivered 
from  them. 

Besides,  we  cannot  take  a  more  effectual  method  to 
guard  against  formality  in  prayer,  than  by  making  it 
arise  out  of  our  present  condition ;  by  making  it  a  sim¬ 
ple,  constant  application  to  God  for  the  supply  of  our 
own  peculiar  wants  and  necessities.  And  though  all 
have  not  ability  to  adapt  the  matter  of  prayer  to  their 
particular  circumstances  in  the  presence  and  hearing  of 
others,  yet  every  one  is  sufficiently  qualified  to  do  this 
alone  before  his  God,  who  seeth  in  secret:  because  in 


366 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


this  case  frequent  hesitations  are  not  in  the  least  either 
detrimental  or  inconvenient $  nor  phrases,  at  which  men 
might  take  offence,  improper  when  well  meant.  The 
same  God  who  prepares  the  heart  to  call  upon  him,  will 
hearken  thereto. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


Ptt+rl  FEK. — con  Untied . 

THE  NECESSITY  OF  PRAYER. 

The  object,  the  nature,  and  the  subject  of  true  prayer 
have  already  been  considered:  but  ignorance,  alas!  in 
this  case  is  but  the  weakest  obstacle  with  which  we  have 
to  contend  ;  the  natural  profaneness  of  the  human  heart, 
and  its  aversion  to  every  truly  spiritual  exercise,  are  far 
more  difficult  to  overcome.  However,  for  this  purpose 
let  us  consider  in  what  manner  the  holy  Scripture  ex¬ 
presses  the  necessity  of  prayer. 

It  is  enforced  there  by  the  practice  of  the  most  vene¬ 
rable  persons  ;  it  is  laid  down  as  the  indispensable  means 
of  obtaining  grace ;  it  is  required  by  the  express  com¬ 
mand  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty. 

It  is  enforced  by  the  most  venerable  names ;  for  Abra¬ 
ham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  David,  Daniel,  Peter  and  Paul, 
in  a  word,  all  those  wTho  stand  the  highest  of  the  human 
race  for  their  excellency  in  the  sight  of  God,  were  most 
eminent  and  abundant  in  the  exercise  of  prayer:  by  this 
their  graces  were  enlivened  and  brightened  to  superior 
lustre.  Now  their  diligence  in  prayer  is  recorded,  not 


ON  PRAYER. 


367 


for  their  sakes,  to  give  them  the  trifling  honor  of  a  post¬ 
humous  fame,  but  for  substantial  use,  as  patterns  which 
we  are  to  copy  :  that  if  we  hope  to  be  with  them  in  the 
kingdom  in  the  end,  we  should  walk  in  their  good  paths, 
and  be  "  followers  of  them  who  through  faith  and  pa¬ 
tience  inherit  the  promises.1’  So  that  whilst  we  have 
any  real  reverence  for  the  word  of  God,  it  is  impossible 
we  should  neglect  and  think  slightly  of  a  duty  which 
was  of  such  unspeakable  importance  in  the  judgment  of 
the  most  eminent  Scripture  saints. 

But  if  the  example  of  all  the  Scripture  saints  proves 
the  necessity  of  prayer,  how  much  more  the  practice  of 
the  Savior  ;  before  the  brightness  of  whose  glory,  pro¬ 
phets,  apostles  and  martyrs  are  eclipsed,  as  the  stars  in 
the  firmament  by  the  rising  sun.  He  was  holy,  harmless, 
undefiled,  separate  from  sinners  ;  nevertheless  prayer 
still  employed  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time.  Fa¬ 
tigued  as  he  was  wont  to  be  with  travelling  from  place 
to  place  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  thronged  by  crowds 
who  pressed  upon  him  to  hear  the  gracious  words  which 
proceeded  out  of  his  lips,  always  therefore  in  need  of 
the  rest  of  the  whole  night ;  yet  would  he  sometimes 
rise  up  a  great  while  before  it  was  day,  to  retire  to  a 
mountain  or  solitary  place  apart  to  pray  ;  sometimes 
the  moon  and  the  stars  beheld  him,  through  the  whole 
night,  an  earnest  supplicant  and  devout  intercessor  j 
whilst  the  rest  of  the  world  were  taking  their  full  rest 
in  their  beds. 

After  this  record,  can  any  one,  professing  himself  a 
Christian,  admit  a  doubt  of  the  absolute  necessity  of 
prayer  I  If  the  Master  of  the  house,  who  had  no  guile, 
nor  slightest  stain  of  depravity,  prayed,  how  much  more 
must  they  of  his  household,  who  are  both  weak  and 
wicked  I  If  the  Lord  from  heaven,  when  he  took  upon 
him  our  flesh,  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  prayed,  how  much 
more  must  his  servants  1  Should  any  one  imagine  him- 


368 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


self  excused  from  this  duty,  what  stronger  reproof  need 
to  be  given  to  his  audacious  impiety,  than  to  reply — 
The  prophets,  the  apostles,  the  martyrs,  Jesus  himself, 
our  Redeemer,  prayed;  whom  makest  thou  thyself  1 
Further,  The  universal  necessity  of  prayer  will  be 
made  still  more  evident  by  proving  it  to  be  the  indis¬ 
pensable  means  of  obtaining  mercy  and  grace.  Houses 
and  possessions,  honors  and  titles,  with  all  the  glitter¬ 
ing  advantages  the  world  covets,  may  seem  to  be  given 
promiscuously,  as  much  to  those  who  never  bend  the 
knee  to  God,  as  to  those  who  diligently  seek  him.  But 
it  is  not  so  with  any  blessing  pertaining  to  the  life  and 
salvation  of  the  soul.  God  never,  in  any  one  instance, 
pardons  sin,  or  delivers  from  its  accursed  tyranny,  till 
prayer  is  made  for  such  inestimable  benefits.  The  un¬ 
changeable  ordinance  of  heaven  runs  thus :  If  thou 
shalt  pray  unto  God  he  shall  be  favorable  unto  thee.  Job, 
33  :  26.  "  Thou,  Lord,  art  good,  and  ready  to  forgive, 
and  plenteous  in  mercy but  observe  to  whom  ;  not 
to  all  persons  indiscriminately,  not  to  the  profane,  not 
to  the  self-sufficient,  but — "  unto  all  them  that  call  upon 
thee.”  Psalm  86  :  5.  Omniscient  and  full  of  compassion 
as  the  Lord  Jehovah  is,  he  promises  no  cognizance  of 
our  spiritual  necessities  to  supply  them,  or  of  our  dan¬ 
gers  to  interpose  and  save  us  from  them,  till  by  prayer 
and  supplication  we  make  our  requests  known  unto  him. 
"Call  unto  me,  and  I  will  answer  thee,  and  show  thee 
great  and  mighty  things,  which  thou  knowest  not.”  Jer. 
33  :  3.  Our  Redeemer  in  the  fullest  manner  teaches  us 
that  prayer  is  the  necessary  means  of  obtaining  mercy 
and  finding  grace  to  help,  when  he  gives  us  this  exhor¬ 
tation  ;  "  Ask  and  ye  shall  receive,  seek  and  ye  shall 
find,  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you :”  which  is 
as  much  as  to  affirm,  that  without  asking,  seeking  and 
knocking,  we  can  receive  of  God  no  spiritual  blessing. 
By  consequence,  not  to  pray,  and  to  remain  utterly  des- 


THE  NECESSITY  OF  PRAYER. 


369 


t.itute  of  any  share  in  the  blessings  which  accompany 
salvation,  is  one  and  the  same  thing. 

Every  one,  therefore,  who  despises  this  channel,  in 
which  God  sees  fit  to  convey  to  the  soul  its  necessary 
supplies  for  eternal  life,  whether  through  a  confidence 
in  the  sufficiency  of  his  own  strength,  in  the  excellen¬ 
cies  of  his  virtues,  ora  pretended  reliance  on  the  finish¬ 
ed  work  of  Christ,  must  unavoidably  remain  under  the 
power  and  guilt  of  sin.  His  fancied  goodness,  in  which 
he  confides,  will  necessarily  he  scanty  and  partial;  some 
ruling  passion  will  still  prevail  over  him,  witnessing  the 
impossibility  of  attaining  real  righteousness  without  di¬ 
vine  aid.  Thus  you  may  frequently  observe  a  profane 
man,  who  prides  himself  in  his  moral  worth,  and  pours 
contempt  upon  devotional  duties,  miserably  chagrined 
by  every  trifling  disappointment,  or  for  the  least  fan¬ 
cied  provocation  breathing  revenge.  You  may  fre¬ 
quently  observe  a  contemner  of  prayer,  who  is  much 
caressed  and  self-applauded  for  good-nature  and  hu¬ 
manity,  studiously  injuring  virgin  innocence  for  the 
gratification  of  merely  animal  appetites.  Too  often  also 
you  may  see  a  warm  advocate  for  the  doctrines  of 
grace  and  the  honor  of  Christ,  deceitful,  covetous,  and 
a  slave  to  sin,  through  an  habitual  neglect  of  prayer. 
The  truth  is,  that  the  union  of  all  virtues  is  wholly 
owing  to  the  grace  of  God  given  to  the  prayer  of  faith ; 
therefore  he  only  of  all  the  children  of  me^  can  pay  an 
uniform  obedience,  who  goes  out  of  himself,  and  places 
his  dependance  upon  the  aids  of  grace  promised  and 
given  to  him  that  asks  for  them. 

Lastly,  The  absolute  necessity  of  prayer  is  put  out 
of  all  doubt  by  the  plain  command  of  God.  No  man  is 
left  at  liberty  whether  he  will  pray  or  no  ;  or  can  ne¬ 
glect  prayer,  without  suffering  much  more  than  the  loss 
of  those  supplies  he  might  procure  by  it.  For  he  who 
does  not  pray,  contracts  additional  guilt,  and  sets  at  de 

16* 


370 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


fiance  the  ordinance  of  God ;  since  he  has  not  more 
expressly  required  us  to  show  mercy  to  our  fellow- 
creatures,  than  to  worship  himself.  We  are  taught, 
"Men  ought  always  to  pray,”  and  to  "continue  in 
prayer.”  In  vain,  therefore,  do  we  plead  a  strict  regard 
to  the  substantial  duties  of  temperance,  of  justice  and 
of  mercy,  as  any  exemption  from  the  obligation  of 
prayer.  To  neglect  prayer  is  actually  to  live  in  the 
commission  of  the  basest  theft, — defrauding  our  God  of 
his  due,  by  refusing  to  render  to  him  that  tribute  which 
he  demands.  With  equal  reason,  and  with  as  little 
affront  to  him,  may  we  refuse  to  obey  his  law  in  being 
just  to  men,  as  refuse  to  honor  him  by  real  prayer. 

Regarding  the  holy  duty  of  prayer  in  this  light,  none 
will  be  safe  from  the  contagion  of  the  world,  who  either 
neglects  prayer,  or  deplorably  trifles  and  dissembles 
with  God  in  it.  You  will  perceive  the  neglect  of  it  to  be 
the  most  odious  species  of  injustice,  though  often  lurk¬ 
ing  under  the  captivating  appearance  of  great  integrity 
of  morals  and  of  high  pretences  to  honor  ;  you  will  re¬ 
gard  it  as  a  violation  of  one  of  the  most  important  du¬ 
ties  ;  a  duty  immediately  resulting  from  the  relation  of 
the  creature  to  the  Creator,  and  enjoined  by  all  the  au¬ 
thority  of  the  one  Lawgiver,  able  to  save  and  to  destroy. 

Now  this  contempt  of  God,  expressed  by  neglecting 
prayer  for  his  favor,  grace  and  Spirit,  is  a  sin  which  no 
excellencies  that  the  world  applauds  can  at  all  compen¬ 
sate.  Like  rebellion  in  the  state,  wherever  it  is,  it  can¬ 
cels  all  pretences  to  any  good  qualities.  As  the  kings 
of  the  earth  do  not  acquit  a  rebel,  though  rebellion  may 
be  his  only  crime,  much  less  does  the  King  of  kings, 
whose  name  is  jealous,  overlook  contumely  thrown 
upon  himself,  because  the  person  guilty  of  it  abstains 
from  all  fraud  and  injustice  towards  men.  To  imagine 
that  God  will  overlook  such  an  affront,  is  to  entertain 
the  most  frivolous  idea  of  the  divine  character ;  it  is 


THE  NECESSITY  OF  PRAYER. 


371 


<vith  the  Epicureans  of  old,  to  enthrone  God  in  heaven 
indeed,  but  at  the  same  time  to  regard  him  as  quite  in¬ 
different  whether  he  is  held  in  reverence  or  in  contempt 
on  earth.  But  such  a  god  is  no  more  like  the  God  of 
the  Christians  than  Baal  or  Moloch.  The  God  of  Chris¬ 
tians  is  a  God  jealous  and  terrible  :  jealous,  not  to  allow 
his  honor  to  be  given  to  another,  or  denied  to  himself  j 
terrible,  to  avenge  himself  of  his  adversaries,  who  with¬ 
hold  that  homage  which  appertains  to  him  as  the  Lord 
of  the  universe,  in  whom  we  all  live,  and  move,  and 
have  our  being.  This  God  hath  commanded  his  servants 
and  messengers,  by  every  form  of  expression  that  can 
engage  the  attention,  to  teach  men,  that  to  serve  him 
with  godly  fear  and  reverence  is  the  one  thing  needful. 
By  consequence,  a  despiser  and  neglecter  of  prayer, 
though  adorned  with  all  the  amiable  qualities  the  world 
can  admire,  still  wants  that  which  must  hallow  his  gene¬ 
rosity,  his  benevolence,  and  all  that  is  extolled  as  virtue. 
For  though  social  good  qualities  are  idolized  by  the 
multitude,  they  weigh  nothing  in  the  balance  of  the 
sanctuary,  unless  they  spring  from  religious  affections: 
"For  them  that  honor  me,”  says  the  Almighty,  "  I  will 
honor,  and  they  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteem¬ 
ed.”  1  Samuel,  2  :  30.  In  other  words,  nothing  shall  ex¬ 
cuse  or  palliate  the  guilt  of  attempting  to  supersede  the 
necessity  of  devotional  duties,  by  affecting  to  magnify 
moral  honesty  and  social  virtues  as  the  sum  and  sub¬ 
stance  of  man’s  duty. 

The  profane  indeed  attempt  to  vindicate  themselves 
in  a  neglect  of  prayer,  by  pretending  to  sublimer  ideas 
of  true  religion  than  those  who  are  governed  by  the 
simple  declarations  of  God’s  own  word.  "  The  Supreme 
Being,”  say  they,  "  knows  all  things ;  what  need  is 
there  then  for  us  to  tell  him  our  wants  1  He  is  loving 
unto  every  man ;  therefore  he  will  give  us,  without  our 
request,  that  which  is  upon  the  whole  best  for  us :  he 


372 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


lays  not  a  stress  on  our  making  many  prayers :  pure 
and  undefiled  religion  before  him  is  to  do  justice  and 
love  mercy.”  From  the  confidence  of  this  assertion  one 
would  be  tempted  to  suppose  that  the  persons  who 
make  it  perfectly  knew  the  mind  of  God  ;  when,  in  fact, 
it  is  not  possible  that  they  should  have  any  just  know¬ 
ledge  of  it.  For  as  skill  in  human  sciences  is  only  to  be 
acquired  by  application  to  them,  so  the  knoAvledge  of 
God  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  prayer,  and  by  meditation 
on  his  own  revelation  of  himself ;  both  which  such  per¬ 
sons  totally  neglect :  therefore  professing  themselves 
wise,  they  betray  the  most  stupid  ignorance  in  these 
objections  against  the  necessity  of  prayer.  If  indeed  we 
were  called  upon  to  pray,  in  order  to  inform  God  of 
what  he  knew  not  before,  or  to  excite  in  him  a  benevo¬ 
lence  to  which  his  heart  was  a  stranger  till  our  petitions 
gave  it  birth,  then  the  objections  would  be  as  pertinent 
and  conclusive  as  they  are  common  in  the  mouths  of 
the  profane.  But  how  vain  do  they  appear,  when  it  is 
considered  that  our  very  encouragement  to  pray  is  the 
previous  assurance  that  God  knows  all  our  wants,  and 
that  because  he  loves  us  therefore  he  will  hear  us. 

The  absolute  necessity,  then,  of  prayer,  remains  in¬ 
disputable,  on  the  grounds  already  mentioned,  namely, 
as  having  been  the  practice  of  the  saints  of  God  and 
of  the  Savior  himself, — as  the  indispensable  means  of 
obtaining  grace, — as  being  enjoined  by  God’s  express 
command.  To  these  may  be  added  one  argument  more, 
that  there  is  no  other  way  to  preserve  upon  our  minds  a 
clear  knowledge  of  our  own  wants,  a  lasting  sense  of 
our  entire  dependence  upon  God,  or  a  lively  gratitude 
for  his  mercies,  than  by  such  a  solemn  constant  repre¬ 
sentation  of  our  desires  and  necessities  before  him  as 
is  always  done  in  real  prayer.  The  conclusion,  there¬ 
fore,  is  evident,  that  neither  the  multiplicity  of  busi¬ 
ness  nor  the  practice  of  social  duties  must  be  pleaded, 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER. 


373 


either  in  justification  of  a  contempt  of  prayer,  or  in  ex¬ 
cuse  for  praying  seldom  or  coldly.  Prayer  must  be 
habitually  fervent  and  persevering.  Whatever  the  world, 
at  large  may  do,  thus  must  every  real  believer  in  Jesus 
worship  and  serve  the  God  of  his  salvation. 


•  %  + 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

^  -  f-  f 

PJIJ  FHU. — con  tinned. 

THE  REQUISITES  OF  TRUE  PRAYER  AND  ITS  SUCCESS. 

We  have  taken  a  view  of  the  object,  the  nature,  the 
matter  and  the  necessity  of  prayer:  what  further  re¬ 
lates  to  this  important  subject  respects  the  requisites 
of  true  prayer,  and  its  infallible  success  where  they  are 
found. 

1.  The  first  requisite  in  all  acceptable  prayer  is  a 
real  intention  to  observe  and  do  what  God  commands. 
For  if,  out  of  regard  to  worldly  interest,  or  for  the  sake 
of  some  evil  gratification,  we  refuse  to  submit  to  his 
authority,  flattering  ourselves  that  multiplied  devotions 
or  obedience  in  all  points,  except  where  the  darling  ini¬ 
quity  interferes,  is  sufficient ;  then  our  prayers,  instead 
of  finding  acceptance,  will  be  the  highest  provocation. 
What  can  be  more  base  than  for  a  man  to  pretend  to 
honor  God  by  prayer,  whilst  he  is  giving  the  most  sub¬ 
stantial  proof  of  real  contempt  of  him  in  his  wilful  dis¬ 
obedience  1  What  can  be  more  offensive  than  to  pre¬ 
tend  to  implore  pardon  when  we  are  determined  not  yet 


374- 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


to  give  up  sin  ;  or  to  entreat  to  be  set  at  liberty,  as  if 
we  were  unwillingly  enslaved,  when  we  really  love  our 
bondage  1  If  we  thus  "  regard  iniquity  in  our  heart,” 
though  we  make  many  prayers,  the  Lord  will  not  hear 
us ;  though  we  are  most  passionate  in  our  devotions,  he 
will  hide  his  face  from  us:  "for  God  heareth  not  sin¬ 
ners  ;  but  if  any  man  be  a  worshipper  of  God,  and  doeth 
his  will,  him  he  heareth.” 

It  must,  however,  be  observed  with  peculiar  caution 
in  this  place,  that  no  one,  though  in  actual  subjection  to 
sin,  ought  on  this  account  to  be  discouraged  from  pray¬ 
ing,  provided  he  longs  for  deliverance  from  it ;  for  at 
the  throne  of  grace  it  is  that  he  must  receive  this  bless 
ing.  Nor  should  any  one  be  deterred  from  prayer  to 
God,  though  the  combat  with  old  sins  should  remain 
severe  and  dubious;  and  even  though  he  should  be 
once  and  again  hurried  into  his  former  wickedness.  In 
this  case,  if  the  sinner  finds  shame,  sorrow  and  self¬ 
abhorrence,  with  a  desire,  notwithstanding  the  dreadful 
power  of  his  corruptions,  to  serve  God  in  truth,  he  is 
immediately  to  make  his  complaint  to  him  more  bitter¬ 
ly,  and  to  bewail  his  miserable  bondage  more  deeply ; 
and  then  he  will  know  there  is  a  God  who  looketh 
down  from  heaven  to  hear  the  groanings  of  such  as  are 
in  captivity  to  their  sins,  and  to  deliver  the  souls  in 
their  own  apprehension  appointed  unto  death.  Nay, 
where  relapses  are  frequent,  though  it  is  indeed  a  de¬ 
plorable  condition,  yet  let  not  prayer  be  discontinued; 
for  this  would  be  forsaking  our  remedy  and  giving  up 
all  hope.  Wherever  any  really  strive  against  sin,  with 
undissembled  prayer  for  deliverance  as  well  as  mercy,  1 
would  encourage  such  to  maintain  the  fight,  and  to  per¬ 
severe  in  their  humiliations,  for  they  have  assurance 
from  the  promises  of  God  that  he  will  hear  their  cry, 
and  will  help  them. 

2.  A  second  requisite  in  prayer  is  humility.  We  must 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER. 


375 


pray  under  a  sense  of  our  guilt  and  of  our  depravity,  as 
well  as  of  our  weakness  and  wants.  We  must  pray 
with  self-abasing  sentiments,  conscious  that  we  are  not 
worthy  to  lift  up  our  eyes  to  God,  much  less  to  receive 
from  him  pardon,  peace  and  salvation ;  we  must  pray 
as  mere  suppliants  for  mercy,  who  would  have  no  cause 
at  all  to  complain  of  injustice  if  our  sins  were  avenged 
upon  us.  Great  stress  is  laid  in  Scripture  upon  this  hu¬ 
miliation  in  prayer :  "  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that 
are  of  a  broken  heart ;  and  saveth  such  as  be  of  a  con¬ 
trite  spirit.”  Psalm  34  :  18.  And  when  the  divine  Ma¬ 
jesty  is  described  with  all  possible  sublimity,  this  requi¬ 
site  of  an  acceptable  worshipper  is  specified :  ”  Thus 
saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity, 
whose  name  is  Holy ;  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy 
place  ;  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble 
spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive 
the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones.”  Isaiah,  57  :  15.  St- 
James  also  very  strongly  urges  the  necessity  of  this 
humiliation:  he  addresses  himself  to  those  who  were 
formalists  in  devotion  ;  constant  enough  in  their  prayers, 
but  very  easy  and  thoughtless  about  their  guilt.  Af¬ 
ter  reproving  them,  therefore,  for  asking  amiss,  that 
they  might  consume  it  upon  their  lusts,  he  directs  them 
to  a  successful  manner  of  praying :  "  God,”  says  he, 
"resisteth  the  proud;  but  giveth  grace  unto  the  humble. 
Be  afflicted,  and  mourn  and  weep :  let  your  laughter  be 
turned  to  mourning,  and  your  joy  to  heaviness.  Humble 
yourselves  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,” — that  is,  with  the 
lowest  prostration  and  self-abasement  confess  your  guilt 
and  your  desert  in  his  sight, — "  and  he  shall  lift  you 
up.”  James,  4  :  9,  10. 

3.  This  sense  of  our  own  vileness  must  accompany 
our  prayer,  in  opposition  to  Pharisaic  self-conceit ;  and 
in  proof  of  our  abiding  consciousness  that  we  can  never 
be  justified  before  God  through  our  own  works.  But 


376 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


with  this  humiliation  must  be  joined  a  filial  trust  in 
God,  and  a  holy  boldness  in  approaching  him.  When 
we  ask,  we  must  not  fluctuate  between  hope  and  des¬ 
pondency,  but  assure  ourselves  that  we  shall  be  as  cer¬ 
tainly  succored,  and  as  certainly  enriched  with  all  that 
our  souls  need,  as  if  the  power  and  blessings  we  im 
plore  were  already  in  our  possession.  For  instance, 
when  we  confess  our  sin  with  sorrow,  shame  and  hu¬ 
miliation,  begging  for  mercy  through  the  atonement, 
we  must  be  fully  persuaded  that  we  do  obtain  mercy. 
When  we  pray  for  the  mastery  over  our  natural  cor¬ 
ruptions,  we  must  assure  ourselves  they  shall  be  sub¬ 
dued.  When  in  perplexity  of  mind  and  in  great  tri¬ 
bulation,  we  beg  of  God  support  and  deliverance,  we 
must  not  entertain  a  fear  that  perhaps  he  will  not  hear 
us.  For  by  giving  way  to  distrust,  questioning  and 
jealousies  whether  God  will  perform  the  gracious  pro¬ 
mises  which  he  hath  made  to  the  poor  and  needy,  we 
greatly  dishonor  him ;  and  in  the  very  act  of  solemn 
address  to  him  as  the  Almighty,  betray  a  disbelief  of 
his  veracity,  or  power,  or  love  to  them  that  call  on 
his  name. 

For  this  cause  we  are  warned  in  Scripture  to  take 
heed,  that  when  we  come  to  God  in  prayer,  we  resist 
every  doubt  that  may  arise  about  his  relieving  our 
wants.  "  Jesus  answering  saith  unto  them,  have  faith 
in  God,”  that  is,  depend  upon  his  almighty  power  for 
the  performance  of  every  thing  that  he  encourages  you 
to  expect  from  him:  "for  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
whosoever  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Be  thou  re¬ 
moved,  and  be  thou  cast  into  the  sea;  and  shall  not 
doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  those  things 
which  he  saith  shall  come  to  pass,  he  shall  have  what¬ 
soever  he  saith that  is,  how  great  soever  any  diffi¬ 
culty  may  seem,  which  you  have  to  overcome  in  the 
way  of  duty,  even  though  it  were  as  unlikely  to  be  ef* 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER.  377 

fected  as  that  you  should  root  up  a  mountain  by  a  word 
of  command,  it  shall  be  brought  to  pass,  provided  that 
ye  have  an  humble  and  unshaken  trust  in  the  divine 
power  and  promises.  Mark,  11  :  22,23.  And  in  proof 
that  this  confidence  in  prayer  was  not  to  be  peculiar  to 
the  apostles,  but  a  necessary  requisite  in  all  Christians, 
St.  James  gives  this  unchangeable  direction  to  the 
Christian  church;  "If  any  one  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let 
him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and 
upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  given  him.  But  let  him 
ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering ;  for  he  that  wavereth  is 
like  a  wTave  of  the  sea,  driven  with  the  wind  and  tossed. 
For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  receive  any 
thing  of  the  Lord.”  James,  1  :  5,  6,  7. 

From  these  passages  it  appears  that  trust  in  God  is 
a  principal  requisite  in  acceptable  prayer;  that  we  ought 
to  have  recourse  to  God  with  the  same  liberty  and  con¬ 
fidence  as  to  a  father,  a  brother  or  a  bosom  friend.  The 
delightful  communion  between  him  and  believers  is, 
therefore,  thus  emphatically  expressed:  "We  have  not 
received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear,  but  we  have 
received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba, 
Father.  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spi¬ 
rit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God that  is,  the  law 
of  worship  and  submission  to  the  eternal  Majesty  is 
softened  into  a  holy  familiarity  ;  and  converted,  through 
the  abundant  manifestations  of  his  grace,  into  a  sweet 
and  childlike  dependence  upon  his  care  and  love  for  us. 
Romans,  8  :  15,  16. 

4.  It  is  indeed  difficult  to  conceive  how  such  confi¬ 
dence  in  God,  such  assurance  of  receiving  from  him 
whatever  we  ask  for  the  good  of  our  souls,  can  consist 
with  a  consciousness  of  our  own  vileness;  or  how  we 
can  conquer  the  fear  that  must  arise  from  a  sense  of 
the  multitude  of  our  defects,  so  as  not  to  ask  with  a 
faltering  tongue.  This  difficulty  is  removed  by  another 


378 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


grand  requisite  of  prayer,  without  which  it  can  have  no 
success;  I  mean  the  offering  it  up  to  God  in  dependance 
on  the  sacrifice ,  righteousness  and  intercession  of  Jesus , 
as  the  great  High-priest  of  his  church. 

By  this  we  acknowledge  that  our  own  duties  are  so 
far  from  having  any  merit  to  procure  for  us  a  favorable 
regard  from  God,  that  we  do  not  even  presume  to  offer 
to  him  his  due  homage  without  having  respect  to  our 
accepted  surety,  the  all-perfect  Mediator  between  God 
and  man.  By  this  we  confess  that  the  death  of  Jesus 
for  our  transgressions,  in  vindication  of  the  justice  of 
God,  and  his  appearance  in  heaven  as  our  intercessor, 
are  our  encouragement  to  draw  nigh  to  God  in  full  as¬ 
surance  of  faith,  notwithstanding  the  absolute  purity  of 
his  nature,  and  the  tokens  of  his  indignation  against  sin. 

And  when  Jesus  is  thus  our  hope,  and  his  atoning 
blood  and  righteousness  all  our  confidence,  there  is  no 
room  for  confusion  or  distrust,  notwithstanding  our 
own  vileness.  He  is  ordained  of  God  for  this  very  pur¬ 
pose,  to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people 
Both  by  office  and  by  love  he  stands  engaged  to  me¬ 
diate  in  favor  of  all  that  come  to  God  by  him,  and  to 
accomplish  all  their  just  and  lawful  desires.  The  com¬ 
mand  from  heaven  therefore  is  express,  that  we  should, 
in  consideration  of  his  character  and  office,  "  come 
boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy 
and  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need.”  Heb.  4  :  16. 

The  offering  up  of  our  prayers  in  the  name  of  Christ 
is  so  necessary  a  requisite,  that  to  omit  it,  is  a  capital 
offence  in  the  sight  of  God.  Should  any  man  dare  to 
say  or  think  thus  with  himself :  "  The  essential  mercy  of 
God  is  a  sufficient  encouragement  to  me  to  pray :  I  es¬ 
teem  it  a  disparagement  to  his  goodness  to  apply  to  him 
by  a  mediator :  I  need  no  one  to  intercede  for  me,  nor 
will  I  be  beholden  to  any  thing  but  my  own  good  quali¬ 
ties  and  fitness  for  pardon  to  make  my  peace  with  God, 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER. 


379 


and  to  give  acceptance  to  my  devotions  ” — Prayer  of¬ 
fered  up  by  him  upon  such  principles,  would  be  as  bad 
as  if  he  had  "  blessed  an  idol.”  It  would'  be  an  open 
censure  of  the  divine  constitution  in  the  method  of 
saving  sinners  and  rebels:  it  would  be  a  dethroning,  as 
far  as  lies  in  man’s  power,  of  the  Son  of  God  from  that 
high  office  of  unspeakable  benevolence  which  he  sus¬ 
tains  and  discharges  in  heaven  for  his  church :  it  would 
be  loading  the  revelation  of  God  with  scorn :  because 
the  most  conspicuous  and  important  doctrine  in  it  is 
undoubtedly  this,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  an  Advocate  for  us  with  the 
Father,  and  a  propitiation  for  sin,  through  faith  in  his 
blood,  that  God  might  be  just,  and  yet  the  justifier  of 
all  that  believe  in  Jesus. 

There  is  an  absolute  necessity,  therefore,  that  in  all 
our  approaches  to  God,  we  "should  honor  the  Son 
even  as  we  honor  the  Father that  we  should  solemnly 
express  our  need  of  his  favor,  and  of  an  interest  in  his 
righteousness  and  intercession  as  the  way  to  partake  of 
the  Father’s  love.  Nor  is  it  sufficient  that  we  ask  mere¬ 
ly  as  disciples  of  Christ ;  that  is,  as  those  who  receive 
him  as  a  prophet  sent  from  God,  without  an  humble 
and  cordial  trust  in  his  atonement  and  intercession  ;  for 
such  an  address,  instead  of  meeting  with  acceptance, 
will  be  rejected  as  the  effect  of  pride  and  infidelity 
reigning  in  our  hearts.  Nothing  but  pride  and  infidelity 
can  lead  us  directly  to  contradict  the  Scriptures,  which 
peremptorily  affirm  that  there  is  no  other  name  given 
under  heaven  whereby  we  can  be  saved  but  that  of 
Jesus;  and  no  way  of  coming  to  the  Father  but  by  him. 
Nothing  but  pride  and  infidelity  can  lead  men  to  sup¬ 
pose  that  they  may  come  before  God  in  their  own 
name,  provided  they  really  intend  to  live  a  moral  life, 
with  assurance  that  they  shall  be  accepted  of  God. 
Were  such  a  doctrine  universally  to  prevail,  it  must  in 


380  COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 

/ 

a  short  time  root  the  Gospel  out  of  the  earth.  No  won¬ 
der,  therefore,  that  so  much  stress  is  laid  in  holy  writ 
on  this  as  a  grand  requisite  in  acceptable  prayer,  that  it 
be  offered  up  to  God  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

From  what  has  now  been  said,  it  appears  that  a  real 
intention  to  obey  God,  an  humble  sense  of  our  own  pol¬ 
luted  condition  before  him,  a  firm  assurance  that  wo 
shall  be  heard,  and  a  constant  dependance  upon  the 
mediation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  are  requisites 
which  must  unite  in  all  acceptable  prayer.  In  fact  they 
are  found  in  the  prayer  of  all  real  believers,  though  in 
different  degrees:  at  first  faintly,  afterwards  more  dis 
tinctly  perceptible,  and,  as  they  grow  in  grace,  they 
are  more  and  more  conscious  that  in  this  manner  they 
worship  the  God  of  their  salvation.  With  the  same 
spirit  of  true  devotion  they  acknowledge  it  is  their 
duty,  and  they  make  it  their  practice  to  worship  God 
in  public  as  well  as  in  private  ;  at  church  as  well  as  in 
the  closet:  and  in  every  ordinance  in  which  God  has 
promised  to  meet  his  faithful  people,  and  to  bless  them. 

Believers  are  encouraged  diligently  to  use  all  these 
means  of  grace,  from  the  knowledge  they  have  of  the 
certain  success  of  prayer.  The  infallible  grounds  on 
which  this  knowledge  is  built,  are  the  source  of  prayer 
in  the  heart  of  fallen  man ;  the  promises  of  God ;  the 
intercession  of  his  Son  ;  and  the  experience  of  all  the 
obedient  children  of  God. 

1.  The  success  of  true  prayer  is  most  certain  from 
considering  the  source  of  it  in  the  heart  of  fallen  man. 
We  are  taught  in  Scripture  that  we  are  not  sufficient  to 
think  a  good  thought  of  ourselves  ;  it  follows  therefore, 
that  no  one  can  feel  a  real  intention  to  glorify  God  by 
uniform  obedience,  or  a  holy  shame  and  sorrow  for 
sin; — no  one  can  come  to  God  as  a  child  in  want  to 
his  heavenly  Father,  or  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, — 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER. 


381 


without  an  actual  gift  of  grace,  without  a  divine  influ 
ence  and  drawing  from  the  Father.  Now  can  it  he  sup¬ 
posed  that  this  gift  is  bestowed  in  vain  1  Can  it  be 
thought  that  any  one  will  be  so  much  enlightened  from 
above,  as  to  desire  to  be  kept  from  every  wilful  offence, 
to  know,  and  to  live  in  obedience  to  the  Gospel,  and 
that  he  will  be  stirred  up  in  prayer,  humbly  to  make 
request  unto  God,  trusting  in  the  merits  of  Christ,  that 
he  may  be  enabled  to  do  so, — and  yet  not  be  heard! 
Shall  such  a  supplicant  fall  down  on  his  knees  before 
God,  only  to  rise  up  with  confusion  at  the  rejection  of 
his  suit!  Certainly  not.  God,  gracious  and  merciful,  is 
not  wont  thus  to  grieve  the  contrite  spirit,  or  to  disap¬ 
point  the  holy  expectations  excited  in  the  heart  by  his 
own  divine  agency.  On  the  contrary,  a  real  desire  of 
receiving  spiritual  mercy,  is  a  pledge  of  obtaining  it  ; 
for  since  "  every  good  and  every  perfect  gift,”  in  every 
degree  of  it,  "  cometh  from  above,  from  the  Father  of 
lights,  in  whom  is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of 
turning,  who  of  his  own  will  begat  us  by  the  word  of 
his  truth  }”  we  must  assuredly  conclude,  that  if  he  hath 
inclined  our  hearts  to  seek  him,  he  will  be  found  of  us. 
James,  1  :  17,  18. 

2.  This  most  comfortable  truth  is  positively  estab¬ 
lished,  by  many  declarations  of  God’s  delight  to  hear 
and  answer  all  that  call  upon  him.  Thus  in  one  place 
he  describes  himself  as  looking  into  the  inmost  recesses 
of  the  heart,  waiting  to  see  the  first  dawning  of  prayer, 
and  to  answer  it  before  it  has  put  on  the  direct  form  of 
a  petition:  "and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  before  they  call, 
1  will  answer,  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will 
hear.”  Isaiah,  65  :  24.  In  another,  he  commands  one  of 
his  prophets  to  publish  the  immediate  acceptance  of 
his  own  petition,  the  moment  he  steadfastly  purposed  to 
offer  it  unto  him :  "  I  said  I  will  confess  my  transgres¬ 
sions  unto  the  Lord,  and  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of 


4 


382 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


my  sin.”  Psalm  32  :  5.  And  that  we  might  harbor  no 
suspicion  of  the  success  of  prayer,  our  Redeemer  com¬ 
pares  the  readiness  of  God  to  succor  the  poor  and 
needy,  who  call  upon  him,  to  that  which  parents  feel 
with  regard  to  their  own  offspring:  ”  What  man  is 
there,”  says  he,  "  of  you,  whom  if  his  son  ask  bread, 
will  he  give  him  a  stone  1  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he 
give  him  a  serpent  1  If  ye  then  being  evil  ”  (corrupt 
and  vitiated  in  your  nature)  are  still  by  the  force  of 
instinct  drawn  gladly  to  supply  the  necessities  of  your 
children,  "how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father 
give  good  things  to  them  that  ask  him  1” 

3.  If  it  should  be  objected,  that  the  undutifulness 
which  the  very  best  men  too  often  manifest  towards  their 
heavenly  Father,  and  their  violations  of  his  law  in  time 
past,  may  well  justify  doubts  whether  God  can  hear 
them  consistently  with  the  honor  of  his  perfections  ;  this 
perplexity  is  removed  by  the  assurance  that  Jesus  ap¬ 
peal's,  with  his  own  blood ,  in  the  presence  of  God ,  as  an 
intercessor  for  all  who  call  upon  him  in  his  name.  He  ap¬ 
pears  as  an  advocate  in  the  behalf  of  the  guilty,  alleging 
what  satisfies  the  law  and  absolves  the  humbled  delin¬ 
quent.  The  memorial  of  his  abundant  mercy  in  dying 
on  the  cross,  is  perpetually  represented  in  the  presence 
of  God ;  and  the  Mediator  declares  it  to  be  his  no  less 
earnest  than  just  request,  that,  for  his  sake,  the  penitent 
acknowledgments  of  those  who  believe  on  him,  and 
their  prayers,  should  be  accepted  ;  their  sins  blotted  out, 
and  increase  of  grace  bestowed  upon  them ;  for  "he 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession.” 

In  the  book  of  the  Revelation  (ch.  8 :  1-5)  there  is  a 
most  magnificent  representation  of  this  truth,  so  very 
interesting  to  every  member  of  the  church  of  Christ. 
The  beloved  John,  we  there  read,  was  favored  with  a 
vision  of  the  things  which  are  done  in  heaven.  In  this 
vision  he  perceived  that  all  the  melodious  choir  of  an- 


TIIE  REQUISITES  OF  PH AYER. 


383 


gels  ceased  from  uttering  their  heart-felt  alleluias  : 
"  There  was  silence  in  heaven  for  the  space  of  half  an 
hour.”  But  wherefore  do  the  praises,  for  ever  and  for 
ever  due,  cease  to  ascend  before  the  throne 1  The  evan¬ 
gelist,  who  saw  the  vision,  teaches  us  it  was  that  their 
whole  attention  might  be  fixed  on  the  Angel,  the  mes¬ 
senger  of  the  covenant ;  who,  just  as  the  high-priest  on 
the  great  day  of  atonement,  was  wont  to  carry  more 
than  usual  incense  in  a  golden  censer,  and  burn  it  in  the 
holy  of  holies  before  the  Lord  ;  so  now  Jesus,  the  glo¬ 
rious  angel  of  God’s  presence,  appeared  as  the  High- 
priest  of  his  church,  standing  in  a  ministering  posture 
before  the  altar  of  burnt-offering,  to  signify  the  atone¬ 
ment  he  had  made  by  his  blood.  "  And  there  was  given 
unto  him  much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with  the 
prayers  of  all  saints,  upon  the  golden  altar  which  was  be¬ 
fore  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which 
came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before 
God,  out  of  the  angel’s  hand that  is,  as  the  perfuming 
smoke  of  incense,  composed  of  the  finest, spices,  ascend¬ 
ed  up  like  a  cloud  to  heaven  with  the  prayers  of  the 
congregation  of  Israel,  that  were  offered  at  the  same 
time  5  so  a  representation  was  made  here  of  the  virtue 
of  Christ’s  sacrifice,  which  mingled,  like  the  most  fra¬ 
grant  odor,  with  the  prayers  of  holy  worshippers  ;  and, 
like  the  incense  which  passed  through  the  hands  of  the 
high-priest,  was  presented  together  with  them  before 
God  by  the  Mediator,  to  cover  their  imperfections,  and 
to  procure  for  them  the  divine  audience  and  acceptance. 

And  what  makes  this  magnificent  representation  of 
our  great  High-priest  a  still  more  encouraging  proof  of 
the  infallible  success  of  true  prayer,  is  this :  It  is  pur¬ 
posely  introduced  just  before  the  most  desolating  judg¬ 
ments  are  going  to  be  poured  out  on  the  apostate  unbe¬ 
lieving  world.  God  thus  assuring  us  that  when  he  whets 
his  glittering  sword,  and  cries,  "Aha!  I  will  rid  myself 


384 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


of  my  adversaries,” — there  is  not  one  humble  supplicant, 
who  approaches  him  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  have 
cause  to  fear  that  his  prayers  are  not  answered.  How 
dishonorable,  then,  how  injurious  both  to  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  to  doubt  of  the  success  of  prayer  !  For  if,  as 
Jesus  declared  to  his  first  and  immediate  followers, 
"the  Father  loveth  you  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and 
believed  that  I  came  forth  from  him  how  much  more 
shall  those  who  possess  the  same  precious  faith,  assure 
themselves  they  shall  be  regarded,  when  there  is  all  the 
interest  and  intercession  of  Jesus,  at  the  right  hand  of 
God,  employed  in  favor  of  those  prayers  suggested  by 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost ! 

4.  To  strengthen  our  assurance  of  the  success  of 
prayer,  nothing  further  can  be  needed  than  the  confir¬ 
mation  of  fact  and  experience .  If  all  who  have  made 
their  prayer  to  God  in  the  way  he  has  himself  appoint¬ 
ed,  and  for  the  blessings  he  has  promised,  have  received 
the  things  they  asked  for  from  him,  then  there  cannot 
be  a  more  complete,  demonstration  of  any  truth,  than  of 
the  infallible  success  of  prayer.  Now  the  word  of  God 
abounds  with  proofs  of  the  Almighty’s  pleasure  to  make 
his  power,  as  it  were,  tributary  to  the  prayer  of  his 
faithful  people.  Thus  the  prayer  of  Joshua  stopped  the 
sun  in  his  course ;  and  that  of  Elijah,  though  a  man  of 
like  passions  with  ourselves,  opened  and  shut  the  springs 
which  water  the  earth.  The  prayer  of  the  three  chil¬ 
dren  preserved  them  in  the  fiery  furnace  from  being 
hurt ;  and  that  of  Daniel  saved  him  from  the  devouring 
Jons.  The  time,  indeed,  would  fail  to  mention  what  we 
find  recorded  in  Scripture  of  the  wonders  wrought 
through  the  power  of  prayer.  Now  if,  in  extraordinary 
cases,  for  the  vindication  of  God’s  truth  and  manifesta¬ 
tion  of  his  glory,  the  effect  of  prayer  was  thus  miracu¬ 
lous;  how  much  more  may  we  conclude  it  to  be  effec¬ 
tual,  when  it  only  seeks  deliverance  from  sin,  and  the 


THE  REQUISITES  OF  PRAYER. 


385 


gift  of  those  graces  by  which  God  may  be  glorified 
on  earth  1 

There  is  indeed  no  age  without  a  cloud  of  witnesses 
of  the  infallible  efficacy  of  prayer.  Ask  those  distin¬ 
guished  persons  in  our  generation,  who  most  faithfully 
conform  to  the  Christian  rule,  and  copy  the  example  of 
their  Lord,  what  has  given  them  such  mastery  over 
their  passions,  such  sweet  complacency  and  good-will 
towards  all  men,  such  a  readiness  to  be  directed  and 
governed  by  the  word  of  God  through  unfeigned  love  to 
him  and  delight  in  his  service ;  and  they  will  unani¬ 
mously  declare, — that  not  by  their  own  power,  wisdom, 
or  resolution  ;  not  through  any  original  excellence  of 
their  temper,  or  the  advantage  of  education,  but  through 
the  grace  of  God,  obtained  by  prayer,  they  are  what 
they  are.  They  began  in  earnest,  they  persevered  with 
importunity,  in  calling  upon  the  Lord,  and  according  to 
his  promise  he  heard  them ;  they  made  their  supplica¬ 
tion  to  him,  and  were  not  disappointed.* 

On  the  contrary,  there  is  not  a  slave  to  sin  within  the 
pale  of  the  Christian  church  ;  not  one  defiled  by  the  lust 
of  uncleanness  or  the  love  of  money ;  not  one  tyram 
nized  over  by  angry,  peevish,  or  turbulent  dispositions, 
but  is  condemned  in  his  own  conscience  either  as  an  ut¬ 
ter  despiser  of  prayer,  or  as  a  mere  formal  trifler  in  it : 

*  Many  illustrious  confirmations  of  the  prevalence  of  Christian 
prayer  with  God,  are  to  be  found  in  the  lives  of  the  excellent  of  the 
earth :  but  a  more  pleasing  and  honorable  one  is  scarce  to  be  met 
with  than  that  recorded  in  the  life  of  the  most  celebrated  physician 
Boerhaave.  A  friend  of  his  who  had  often  admired  his  patience  un¬ 
der  the  greatest  provocations,  asked  him  by  what  means  he  had  so 
entirely  suppressed  that  impetuous,  ungovernable  passion,  anger  1 
The  doctor  answered,  with  the  utmost  frankness  and  sincerity,  that 
naturally  he  was  quick  of  resentment,  but  by  daily  prayer  he  at¬ 
tained  that  mastery  over  himself. — Burton's  Life  of  Boerhaave. 

It  was  his  custom,  never  violated,  to  spend  the  first  hour  of  every 
day  in  prayer,  though  patients  from  every  country  in  Europe  ap¬ 
plied  to  him  for  advice. 

Duty  of  Man. 


17 


386 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


such  a  one,  therefore,  experiences  no  deliverance  from 
the  power  of  evil  tempers,  nor  does  he  gain  the  least 
ground  against  them. 

Real  Christians,  therefore,  must  value  prayer,  and  be 
constant  and  unwearied  in  it;  so  will  the  same  bountiful 
God,  whose  ears  are  ever  open  to  the  prayers  of  his 
faithful  people,  open  heaven  in  the  end  to  receive  their 
persons.  He  will  give  them  an  abundant  entrance  into 
that  kingdom  where  petitions  will  be  no  more ;  because 
neither  weakness  nor  want,  fear  nor  trial,  will  remain ; 
but  every  feeling  of  the  soul  be  perfect  felicity,  and 
every  expression  of  it  perfect  praise. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THU  HOJLT  SCHSJPTUHi E. 


STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE. 

Having  considered  the  nature  of  prayer  as  a  principal 
exercise  of  devotion,  I  now  proceed  to  state  another 
duty  equally  important,  equally  binding  upon  Christians, 
and  equally  necessary  to  maintain  a  holy  life ; — the 
s'.udy  of  the  Holy  Scripture. 

As  the  Scripture  was  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and 
its  great  design  is  to  instruct  men  in  the  knowledge 
of  him,  so  it  contains  repeated  commands  to  search  into, 
and  meditate  upon  its  sacred  contents.  "  These  words.” 
says  God,  ”  which  I  command  thee,  shall  be  in  thy  heart, 
and  thou  shalt  bind  them  as  a  sign  upon  thy  hand, 


STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE. 


387 


and  they  shall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine  eyes,  and 
thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thy  house,  and 
upon  thy  gates.”  Deut.  6:8,  9  ;  that  is,  thou  shalt  most 
familiarly  converse  with  them,  and  most  carefully  trea¬ 
sure  them  up  in  thy  mind.  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  the 
Old  Testament,  tells  us  that  "whatsoever  things  were 
written  aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learning  and  for 
our  admonition.”  Of  the  New  Testament  we  are  told 
that  it  was  written  "  that  we  might  believe  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  believing,  we 
might  have  life  through  his  name.”  John,  20  :  31.  St. 
Peter  instructs  us,  that  he  wrote  both  his  Epistles  to 
"  stir  up  the  pure  minds  of  Christians  by  way  of  remem¬ 
brance,”  and  to  put  them  in  mind  "  of  the  words  which 
were  spoken  before  by  the  holy  prophets,  and  of  the 
commandments  of  the  apostles  of  the  Lord  and  Savior.” 
2  Pet.  3  :  1,  2.  Now  as  these  are  the  ends  for  which  the 
Scriptures  were  inspired  of  God  and  directed  to  us,  so 
do  they  lay  an  obligation  upon  all  into  whose  hands 
they  are  put  to  acquaint  themselves  with  them.  And 
not  to  read  what  God  has  written  and  directed  to  us, 
is  in  fact  a  profane  contempt  both  of  his  authority  and 
mercy ;  it  looks  as  if  we  either  thought  him  such  an 
insignificant  being,  or  ourselves  so  little  to  need  his  in¬ 
formation,  that  it  is  not  worth  our  while  to  peruse  with 
care  and  frequency  the  contents  of  those  sacred  books, 
which  by  his  inspired  penmen  he  hath  vouchsafed  to 
send  us. 

Further,  the  infinite  concern  which  we  all  have  in 
the  subject-matter  of  holy  writ,  most  evidently  obliges 
us  to  read  and  acquaint  ourselves  with  it.  For  what 
the  Scripture  contains  is,  by  the  unanimous  confession 
of  all  Christians,  of  everlasting  moment :  it  proposes  ar¬ 
ticles  of  faith  under  the  most  awful  sanctions ;  eternal 
life,  if  we  receive  them ;  death  eternal,  if  we  reject 
them.  It  prescribes  a  rule  of  duty  essential  to  our 


388 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


peace,  comfort  and  safety.  It  holds  forth  promises  ex 
ceeding  great,  to  excite  our  diligence  and  encourage 
our  hope,  and  threatenings  of  such  misery  as  infinitely 
exceeds  all  evil  in  this  world  $  that  at  all  times  we  may 
hear  and  fear,  and  never  commit  iniquity.  He,  there¬ 
fore,  who  neglects  to  study  and  search  the  Scripture, 
betrays  his  unbelief  and  scorn  of  his  Maker,  and 
proves  that,  like  a  brute,  he  only  desires  what  can  do 
his  body  good. 

Indeed  the  will  of  God  is  so  plainly  revealed  in  this 
matter,  that  no  one  but  an  infidel  will  justify  a  total  ne¬ 
glect  of  the  Bible.  Many,  however,  who  profess  to  be¬ 
lieve  in  it,  read  it  so  carelessly  or  so  seldom,  as  to  de¬ 
rive  little  advantage  from  it.  Allowance  no  doubt  must 
be  made  for  different  capacities  and  different  situations 
in  life  ;  yet  after  this  allowance  too  many  will  still  be 
found  guilty  of  trifling  with  the  word  of  God.  The 
principal  thing  which  men  of  all  stations  should  avoid 
is  a  formal,  careless  way  of  reading.  This  has  been, 
in  all  ages,  a  general  fault,  and  a  great  one  indeed ;  for 
we  may  read  the  Scripture  in  this  way  every  day  of  our 
lives,  and  be  in  no  degree  wiser  or  better.  To  derive 
spiritual  benefit,  therefore,  from  the  Bible,  the  following 
rules  must  necessarily  be  observed  : 

1.  Whenever  we  open  the  sacred  book  of  God,  we 
should  lift  up  our  hearts  to  him ,  to  teach  us  the  true 
meaning  of  what  we  are  going  to  read.  This  is  neces¬ 
sary,  because  those  doctrines,  which  are  its  very  glory, 
offend  our  natural  pride,  and  its  precepts  contradict  our 
dearest  lusts.  To  receive  the  one,  therefore,  with  humi¬ 
lity  and  thankfulness,  and  to  submit  to  be  governed  by 
the  other,  requires  assistance  from  heaven,  and  a  bless¬ 
ing  from  the  Father  and  Fountain  of  lights.  Accordingly 
in  the  Bible  we  are  frequently  taught  that  we  cannot 
know  the  excellency  of  its  doctrines,  nor  rely  on  them 
,vith  such  a  persuasion  as  to  honor  God  by  it,  unless 


STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE. 


3S9 


he  opens  our  understandings;  for  "no  man,”  saitli  St 
Paul,  "can  say  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  but  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.”  And  when  the  apostle  speaks  of  those 
believers  in  Christ  who  knew  the  things  which  were 
freely  given  of  God  to  them,  he  declares,  they  received 
"  the  spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  they  might  know 
them.”  So  deeply  sensible  were  the  holy  men  of  old, 
of  their  own  natural  incapacity  of  reaping  any  profit¬ 
able  knowledge  from  the  Scripture  without  the  teach¬ 
ings  of  God,  obtained  by  prayer,  that  with  the  Bible 
open  before  them  they  continually  made  request  for 
illumination  of  their  minds  to  understand  it  aright 
"  I  am  a  stranger  upon  earth,  0  hide  not  thy  command 
ments  from  me. — I  am  thy  servant,  give  me  under¬ 
standing  that  I  may  know  thy  statutes.  Open  thou 
mine  eyes  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of 
thy  law.”  These  blessed  servants  of  God  we  must 
imitate,  and  depend  on  the  Spirit  for  light  and  instruc¬ 
tion  when  we  read  God’s  word.  Not,  indeed,  expecting 
a  new  light,  that  is,  any  new  doctrine,  either  distinct 
from  the  Scripture  rule,  or  supplemental  to  it ;  nor 
laying  aside  our  reason  and  understanding,  relying 
upon  an  immediate  inspiration  to  interpret  Scripture. 
Either  of  these  things  is  weak  enthusiasm.  But  with 
the  greatest  sobriety  we  may  expect,  and  ought  to  pray 
for  the  Spirit’s  help,  to  give  us  real  advantage  and 
improvement  whilst  we  are  reading  the  word  of  God. 
Because  the  Spirit  is  promised  to  abide  with  the  church 
for  ever,  as  a  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  things  of  God  :  nor  shall  we  evei 
know  them  so  as  to  feel  their  power  and  authority  on 
the  heart,  without  internal  illumination. 

There  is,  I  readily  grant,  a  knowledge  of  Scripture 
truths,  which  men  of  parts  and  penetration  attain  at 
once,  upon  turning  their  attention  to  them ;  so  that 
they  can  talk  and  preach  about  them  without  detection 


390 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


amongst  the  multitude,  whilst  they  themselves  are 
workers  of  iniquity,  blind  and  dead  in  their  sins.  But 
then  this  knowledge  is  speculative,  worthless,  resting  in 
the  head,  and  never  changing  the  heart.  And  so  must 
all  knowledge  of  divine  things  be,  unless  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  give  it  power  to  command  and  sway 
the  soul.  Because,  by  whatever  method  we  attain  the 
knowledge  of  any  thing  contrary  to  the  bent  of  our  own 
wicked  hearts,  we  need  much  more  than  the  most  con¬ 
vincing  external  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  thing,  to 
determine  our  will  against  its  own  strong  and  corrupt 
propensity.  If  you  demand  a  proof  of  this,  consider  the 
remarkable  case  of  the  Jews  at  Mount  Horeb.  Could 
any  one  of  them  doubt  that  the  authority,  which  avouch¬ 
ed  the  law  given  to  them,  was  decisive  %  Nevertheless, 
how  daringly  did  they  rush  into  idolatry !  They  did  it 
not  only  against  the  express  letter  of  the  law,  but  whilst 
the  terrible  voice,  in  which  it  was  delivered,  one  would 
think,  was  still  sounding  in  their  ears.  And  though  they 
could  not  doubt  the  authority  of  God,  yet  their  rebel¬ 
lions  are  imputed  to  their  infidelity.  "  How  long,”  saith 
the  Lord  God,  "  will  this  people  provoke  me  1  how  long 
will  it  be  ere  they  believe  me  1”  Num.  14  :  11.  The 
very  same  is  the  case  with  ourselves.  We  turn  aside 
from  the  known  commandments  of  our  God ;  we  prefer 
the  service  of  some  vile  lust  to  our  bounden  duty,  though 
we  allow  the  Scripture  to  be  a  divine  revelation,  and 
read  it  as  such ;  till  we  read  it  with  prayer,  imploring 
the  God  whose  word  it  is,  to  grant,  by  the  illumination 
of  his  Spirit,  that  his  word  may  be  put  into  our  mind 
and  exert  a  sovereign  sway  over  it. 

This  doctrine  is  of  the  utmost  importance  ;  for,  if  you 
take  away  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  from  the 
members  of  the  church,  then  the  very  Gospel  of  Christ 
will  be  no  more  than  a  sublime  speculation,  as  ineffec¬ 
tual  to  change  the  heart  or  reform  the  world  as  the 


STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTUKE. 


391 


pagan  philosophy.  The  Holy  Spirit,  the  Comforter,  is 
the  inestimable  promise  made  to  the  church ;  if  there¬ 
fore  we  would  read  the  Bible  for  our  reproof,  our  cor¬ 
rection,  our  instruction  in  righteousness,  we  must  be¬ 
fore,  and  as  we  read,  pray  to  God  for  his  influence  and 
teaching. 

2.  A  second  rule,  no  less  worthy  of  our  constant  and 
careful  observation,  is  not  hastily  to  read  too  large  a  por¬ 
tion  at  one  time.  Some  set  themselves  a  certain  quan¬ 
tity,  suppose  two  or  three  chapters,  to  read  at  stated 
hours  of  every  day ;  a  much  larger  portion  this  than 
they  can  sufficiently  attend  to,  except  it  be  in  some  of 
the  historical  parts  of  the  Bible.  Hence,  though  they 
converse  much  in  this  manner  with  the  word  of  God, 
they  remain  as  shamefully  ignorant  of  its  contents,  at 
least  as  much  unrenewed  in  their  minds,  as  those  who 
never  look  into  it.  We  must  by  no  means,  therefore, 
content  ourselves  with  having  the  words  and  expres¬ 
sions  of  God  before  our  eyes,  or  in  our  mouths.  On  the 
contrary,  we  must  pause  and  deliberate  much  on  the 
things  signified  by  the  words :  we  must  labor  to  fix  the 
true  import  of  the  divine  expressions  deep  in  our  minds; 
so  that  the  very  spirit  of  the  Bible  may  be,  as  it  were, 
transcribed  into  them. 

It  is  true  that  by  this  method  we  shall  read  but  a 
little,  and  our  progress  in  going  through  all  the  princi¬ 
pal  parts  of  the  sacred  volume  will  be  slow,  compared 
with  those  who  can  read  many  chapters  in  a  day.  But 
then  the  singular  benefit  of  such  a  method  will  amply 
reward  our  pains,  and  prove  its  superiority ;  for  whilst 
in  much  recollection  and  silent  meditation  we  take  the 
word  of  God  into  our  hands,  and  place  ourselves,  as  it 
were,  before  him  for  instruction,  we  shall  find  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  it  beautifully  unfolding ;  and  the  knowledge  of 
what  we  gain  in  this  manner  will  come  with  a  transform¬ 
ing  efficacy.  It  will  also  remain  with  us,  and  be  our  own, 


392 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


for  use  and  recollection  at  all  times ;  whilst  the  com¬ 
ments  and  explanations  of  other  men,  and  our  own  hasty- 
read  ings,  however  they  may  seem  to  instruct  us,  are 
soon  forgotten,  because  they  have  no  root  in  us.  Not¬ 
withstanding  therefore  that  we  may  be  strongly  opposed, 
in  this  method  of  reading  the  word  of  God,  by  our  sloth 
and  natural  aversion  deeply  to  attend  to  spiritual  things, 
we  must  overcome  this  indisposition,  a  little  persever¬ 
ance  will  master  all  the  difficulty;  and  will  enable  each 
of  us  to  say,  "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  more  precious  to 
me  than  thousands  of  gold  and  silver ;  in  that  law  do  T 
exercise  myself  day  and  night.” 

3.  Nearly  allied  to  this  careful  meditation  on  the  word 
of  God  is  another  important  rule,  which  we  must  ob¬ 
serve  when  we  read  any  principal  part  of  it ;  that  is,  to 
exact  of  ourselves  correspondent  affections  $  and  if  we 
do  not  experience  them,  to  lament  and  bewail  the  po¬ 
verty  and  misery  of  our  condition. 

For  instance,  when  the  character  of  God  is  before  us  ; 
when  we  are  reading  such  passages  as  describe  him  in¬ 
finite  in  power,  glorious  in  holiness,  continually  adored 
by  the  host  of  heaven,  yet  more  tender  and  affectionate 
than  any  father  to  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  inter¬ 
esting  himself  in  all  the  most  minute  circumstances  that 
can  affect  the  welfare  of  those  that  love  him:  to  read 
such  descriptions  of  God  will  be  to  very  little  purpose, 
unless  we  pause  and  ask  ourselves ; — whether  we  in  this 
manner  really  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  ex¬ 
cellency  of  our  God  ; — whether  we  have  such  views  of 
nim  who  is  thus  represented,  as  to  make  him  indeed  our 
delight ;  as  to  satisfy  us  of  his  good  and  gracious  inten 
tions  towards  ourselves  in  particular,  and  to  lead  us 
with  comfort  to  rely  on  him  for  all  we  want  1 

In  like  manner,  when  we  read  the  scripture  represen¬ 
tations  of  the  glory,  the  offices,  and  the  character  of 
the  Redeemer,  with  the  inestimable  promises  he  makes 


STUD V  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE. 


3‘J3 

to  them  who  trust  in  his  name ;  little  will  it  profit  us 
unless  we  also  at  the  same  time  search  and  try  our 
souls,  whether  these  representations  make  us  eager  to 
embrace  a  Savior  thus  altogether  lovely  ; — unfeignedly 
thankful  to  God  for  this  unspeakable  gift ; — and  able, 
without  doubt  or  wavering,  to  yield  ourselves  up  to  his 
service,  and  to  trust  him  as  the  guardian  of  our  eternal 
interests. 

When  we  meet  with  Scripture  assertions  of  the  weak¬ 
ness,  blindness,  guilt,  and  depravity  of  fallen  man  j  in 
vain  shall  we  assent  to  them,  because  found  in  the  book 
of  God,  if  we  do  not  trace  each  of  these  branches  of  na¬ 
tural  corruption  as  they  have  discovered  themselves  in 
our  behavior,  and  behold  some  remains  of  them  still  in 
ourselves.  When  the  self-denying  tempers  of  the  faithful 
in  Christ,  their  deliverance  from  the  dominion  of  worldly 
hopes  and  fears,  their  unfeigned  love  to  God  and  man, 
and  their  real  imitation  of  Jesus  in  the  abhorrence  of 
all  evil,  is  the  subject  before  us ; — in  vain  shall  we  read 
of  these  spiritual  attainments,  unless  we  examine  in 
what  degree  the  infinitely  desirable  transformation  has 
taken  place  in  our  own  hearts. 

Unless  we  thus  read  all  Scripture  with  self-application , 
we  shall  do  just  enough  to  flatter  and  deceive  ourselves 
that  we  are  something,  when  we  are  nothing  ;  enough 
to  make  us  imagine  we  have  a  great  regard  to  Scripture, 
when  in  fact  it  has  no  weight  at  all  with  us  to  form  our 
judgment,  or  to  determine  us  in  the  grand  object  of  our 
pursuit. 

It  is  our  duty,  therefore,  not  only  to  read  the  word  of 
God  with  frequency  ;  but  like  men  in  earnest,  who 
know  that  every  thing  is  to  be  determined  by  its  decla¬ 
rations  ; — like  men  who  know  that  he  only  is  blessed 
whom  that  word  blesses ;  and  that  he  is  most  assuredly 
cursed  whom  that  word  curses.  It  is  our  duty  to  labor 
and  pray,  that  we  may  have  the  lively  signatures  of 

17* 


394 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Scripture  impressed  in  all  our  sentiments,  breathing  m 
all  our  desires,  realized  in  all  our  conduct ;  so  that  all 
may  see,  and  we  ourselves  most  delightfully  prove,  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  is  pure,  converting  our  souls. 

4.  Lastly,  It  is  well  to  read  the  more  devotional  and 
practical  portions  of  Scripture  most  frequently .  As,  in 
the  frame  of  our  body,  God  has  ordained  some  parts  to 
be  absolutely  necessary  to  its  life,  others  to  its  comfort 
and  ease,  and  others  again  to  its  ornament  ;  in  the  same 
manner  is  the  Scripture  composed.  As  our  greatest  re¬ 
gard  therefore  is  to  such  parts  of  the  body  as  are  most 
vital,  so  our  most  frequent  contemplation  must  be  fixed 
on  those  parts  of  Scripture  which  most  nearly  concern 
the  glory  of  God,  our  own  eternal  salvation,  and  the 
good  of  others.  The  Scriptures  therefore  which  de¬ 
lineate  the  perfections  of  God,  his  jealous  regard  of  his 
own  honor,  the  necessity  of  living  in  willing  subjection 
to  his  authority,  the  certain  insupportable  miseries  of 
the  unconverted  and  unbelieving,  the  earthly  and  the 
sensual,  call  for  our  frequent  perusal :  for  in  such  a 
world  as  this,  and  with  hearts  disposed  as  ours  are,  in 
vain  we  attempt  to  observe  the  commands  of  God,  if 
we  are  not  immoveably  persuaded  of  these  truths,  and 
constantly  reminded  of  them.  The  Scriptures  also, 
which  describe  the  miseries  of  our  fallen  state,  the  evil 
bias  that  is  upon  our  will,  our  utter  impotence  on  this 
very  account  to  recover  ourselves,  are  in  a  very  eminent 
degree  deserving  of  our  frequent  meditation.  Of  the 
same  important  nature  are  all  those  passages  in  holy 
writ  which  declare  what  the  Savior  is  in  his  own  per¬ 
sonal  excellency  ;  what  he  has  done  and  suffered  on 
earth  ;  what  he  is  now  doing  in  heaven  for  his  church  ; 
which  acquaint  us  with  his  gracious  calls  and  his  tender 
expostulations ;  which  instruct  us  in  the  knowledge 
of  our  own  indispensable  need  of  him  in  his  offices  of 
prophet,  priest  and  king.  No  one  can  look  into  the 


395 


STUDY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE. 

♦ 

Bible  without  perceiving  with  what  peculiar  emphasis 
these  subjects  are  treated ;  how  they  project  to  our 
view,  and  are  insisted  upon  and  extolled  as  the  glorious 
display  of  God’s  wisdom  and  love.  A  deep,  intimate  ac¬ 
quaintance,  therefore,  with  these  things,  is  a  principal 
end  for  which  Scripture  was  given,  and  therefore  should 
be  our  object  in  perusing  it. 

What  is  said  also  of  the  influences  and  operations  of 
the  Spirit,  must  be  closely  attended  to  by  us,  that  we 
may  know  whether  we  are  led  by  the  Spirit,  or  walk 
according  to  the  influence  of  our  corrupt  nature.  For 
the  true  knowledge  and  firm  belief  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  Spirit’s  influence,  is  the  only  means  of  supporting  a 
Christian  practice  and  temper.  What  relates  to  his  ope¬ 
rations  on  the  soul,  must  frequently  be  made  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  our  meditation  ;  because  in  the  apostolic  wri¬ 
tings  they  are  always  insisted  upon  with  earnestness, 
as  the  infallible  evidences  of  our  being  alive  to  God, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Unless  the  nature  of 
these  operations  be  well  understood  by  us,  we  shall  be 
in  danger  of  imposing  upon  ourselves,  or  of  being  de¬ 
ceived  by  the  virtues  of  the  world.,  which  only  counter¬ 
feit  Christianity,  as  politeness  does  real  humility  and 
love  ;  we  shall  rest  in  the  outward  action,  without  re¬ 
gard  to  the  internal  motive  from  which  it  ought  to 
spring. 

Other  rules  might  be  added  for  direction  in  reading 
the  word  of  God,  but  these  are  sufficient  for  edification, 
exhortation  and  comfort ;  sufficient  to  make  all  who 
conform  to  them  wise  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  his 
Son,  and  Spirit,  unto  salvation. 


396 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

CBMISTMJT  JOF. 

ITS  SOURCES. 

It  is  too  general  an  opinion,  that  men  cannot  be  so 
happy  in  the  present  world,  by  submitting  in  all  things 
to  the  rules  of  the  Christian  faith,  as  by  allowing  them¬ 
selves  more  liberty  than  it  permits :  that  if  we  are  to  be 
entirely  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  we  must  give  up 
every  present  gratification,  and,  like  the  superstitious 
recluses  of  the  convent,  pass  our  time  in  melancholy,  or 
at  least  under  very  irksome  restraints.  A  falsehood  this, 
which  is  at  once  full  of  impiety  and  mischief.  Full  of 
impiety ;  for  it  represents  the  life  of  faith  and  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  God  as  irksome,  and  only  to  be  endured  in  the 
view  of  some  reward,  or  through  fear  of  some  evil  in 
another  world ;  when,  in  point  of  gratification,  they  have 
"  the  promise  of  this  world,  as  well  as  of  that  which 
is  to  come.”  The  slander  also  is  big  with  mischief  j 
because  if  men  imagine  Christian  obedience  an  uncom¬ 
fortable  service,  their  violent  propensity  to  present  plea¬ 
sure,  joined  with  their  faint  belief  of  eternal  things,  may 
be  expected  to  lead  them  to  indulge  in  transitory  volup¬ 
tuousness  ;  risking  any  loss  they  may  sustain  beyond  the 
grave,  since  that  is  distant  and  invisible. 

The  system,  therefore,  of  doctrinal  and  practical  Chris¬ 
tianity,  contained  in  this  volume,  cannot  more  properly 
be  concluded  than  with  a  representation  of  several  sources 
of  happiness  peculiar  to  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  and 
with  some  unanswerable  proofs  of  the  reasonableness, 
certainty  and  necessity  of  those  evangelical  consola¬ 
tions.  From  whence  the  conclusion  will  be  evident,  that 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


397 


there  are  no  pleasures  upon  earth  worthy  to  be  named 
with  those  enjoyed  by  the  obedient  children  of  God  ; 
who  are  often  pitied  as  miserable  and  melancholy  per¬ 
sons  on  account  of  the  strictness  of  their  religion. 

1.  The  first  source,  then,  of  happiness  peculiar  to  the 
faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  is  the  excellent  knowledge  they 
have  attained.  God  the  Father  in  all  his  adorable  per¬ 
fections,  in  the  works  he  has  made,  and  in  the  word  he 
has.caused  to  be  written,  in  the  redemption  he  has  pro¬ 
vided,  and  in  the  blessings  he  has  promised  $  God  the 
Son  in  his  original  glory  and  marvellous  humiliation,  in 
all  the  parts  and  most  benevolent  purposes  of  his  media¬ 
tion  ;  God  the  Holy  Ghost  in  all  his  influences,  gifts 
and  graces )  with  the  realities  of  the  invisible,  eternal 
world,  constitute  the  pleasing  subjects  of  meditation  to 
the  true  believer.  Nominal  Christians,  it  is  true,  hear  of 
all  these  subjects,  perhaps  profess  constantly  to  believe 
in  them ;  but  they  can  neither  find  time  to  take  any  ex¬ 
act  survey  of  them,  nor  to  ponder  them  in  their  hearts ; 
therefore  "  seeing  they  see,  and  do  not  perceive,  and 
hearing  they  hear,  and  do  not  understand.”  The  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  things  of  God,  on  the  contrary,  which  real 
believers  possess,  is  lively,  penetrating,  and  of  course 
delightful. 

No  one  can  question  the  pleasures  of  the  understand¬ 
ing,  since  thousands  toil  for  no  other  reward.  In  the 
eyes  of  all  the  votaries  of  science,  the  discovery  of  truth 
has  the  most  bewitching  charms,  even  though  the  truth 
only  relates  to  something  in  this  perishing  world,  and  is 
without  any  power  to  produce  the  dispositions  essential 
to  peace  of  mind.  Is  such  knowledge  pleasant  1  How- 
much  more,  then,  the  discovery  of  truths,  which,  be¬ 
sides  their  novelty,  have  a  grandeur  capable  of  engaging 
the  whole  mind,  and  filling  it  with  admiration  !  The 
grandeur  is  no  sooner  apprehended  than  the  truths  of 
God  necessarily  become  a  source  of  delight.  Before, 


398 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


they  were  either  despised  or  suspected,  or  blindly  as¬ 
sented  to  from  the  force  of  education  ;  now  they  act  like 
themselves — they  inspire  new  resolutions,  they  kindle 
ardent  desires,  they  excite  abundant  hope :  in  a  word, 
by  their  spiritual  knowledge  believers  are  brought  into 
a  new  and  glorious  world,  where  objects  interesting  be¬ 
yond  measure,  and  tending  to  their  honor  and  exalta¬ 
tion,  surround  them. 

It  is  indeed  most  worthy  of  observation,  that  the  very 
same  language  which  is  used  to  denote  the  joyful  change 
from  night  to  day,  is  chosen  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  ex¬ 
press  the  change  made  in  the  minds  of  believers  by  the 
knowledge  they  are  taught  of  God.  Of  them  it  is  said, 
in  contradistinction  to  their  condition  by  nature:  "Ye 
were  sometimes  darkness,  but  now  ye  are  light  in  the 
Lord.”  Ephes.  5  :  8.  "For  God,  who  commanded  the 
light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our  hearts, 
to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God 
in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.”  2  Cor.  4  :  6. 

This  pleasure,  which  true  believers  enjoy  from  their 
first  acquaintance  with  divine  truth,  increases  as  they 
advance.  There  is  a  very  sensible  progress  in  divine, 
no  less  than  in  human  science  :  first  a  faint  or  confused 
view  of  the  truths  of  God,  then  a  clear  perception  of 
their  matchless  excellence  and  various  usefulness  \  first 
a  dependence  upon  them,  mixed  with  hesitation  and 
fear,  afterwards  a  full  assurance  of  understanding  and 
hope,  a  comprehending  the  breadth,  and  ler^gth,  and 
height,  and  depth  of  what  before  was  very  superficially 
known.  Such  a  progress  is  inseparable  from  persever¬ 
ance  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  a  diligent  use  of  the 
word  of  God  and  of  prayer,  and  it  never  fails  to  prove 
a  spring  of  fresh  and  increasing  delight. 

Further:  this  knowledge  proves  in  a  peculiar  manner 
pleasant  to  those  who  possess  it,  from  the  solid  benefits 
which  it  constantly  confers.  For  whilst  all  other  sub- 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


399 


jects  which  employ  the  minds  of  men,  leave  them,  after 
their  highest  attainments,  painfully  sensible  how  little 
there  is  in  them  to  satisfy  their  wants,  to  subdue  their 
passions,  to  guard*  against  various  evils,  or  to  support 
them,  much  less  to  profit  them,  when  they  leave  the 
present  scene ;  believers  experience  in  their  know¬ 
ledge  contentment  in  every  condition,  a  preservative 
from  the  force  of  unruly  passions,  a  shield  against  the 
assaults  of  their  worst  enemies.  By  this  they  are  in¬ 
spired  with  a  supernatural  firmness  of  mind,  by  this 
cheered  in  the  hour  of  distress ;  still  sure  to  find  its 
immense  value  most,  when  they  depart  out  of  this 
mortal  life. 

Knowledge,  thus  supremely  excellent,  enriches  the 
souls  of  all  real  believers  in  Christ  Jesus.  Even  the 
poorest  and  meanest,  who  truly  receive  and  faithfully 
serve  the  Lord  Jesus,  stand  not  one  single  degree  more 
distant  from  the  attainment  of  it  than  men  of  talents  and 
education.  For  as  it  is  God  alone  who  communicates 
this  knowledge,  so  all  who  make  application  for  it  in 
prayer,  are  equally  sure  to  attain  it.  And  the  pure 
delight  with  which  it  replenishes  the  mind,  is  at  once 
thus  positively  asserted  and  emphatically  recommend¬ 
ed  :  "  Happy  is  the  man  that  findeth  wisdom,  and  the 
man  that  getteth  understanding.  For  the  merchandise 
of  it  is  better  than  the  merchandise  of  silver,  and  the 
gain  thereof  than  fine  gold.  Her  ways  are  ways  of 
pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace.  She  is  a  tree 
of  life  to  them  that  lay  hold  upon  her :  and  happy  is 
every  one  that  retaineth  her.”  Prov.  3  :  13,  14,  17,  18. 

Who  can  give  any  real  credit  to  this  positive  as¬ 
sertion  of  holy  writ,  or  consider  the  nature  and  qualL 
ties  of  Christian  knowledge,  and  not  see  that  real  Chris¬ 
tians  are  the  happiest  people  upon  earth  1  Who  can 
impartially  weigh  these  things,  and  for  a  moment  ques¬ 
tion  who  are  the  persons  that  now  pass  their  time  in 


400 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


the  most  pleasant  and  truly  joyous  manner ; — whether 
they  are  the  libertines  who  scoff  at  divine  truth,  the 
formalists  who  know  nothing  of  its  power,  or  sincere 
believers  who  experimentally  know  the  sweetness  and 
excellence  of  the  Christian  doctrine  1 

2.  But  this  knowledge  of  the  truth  is  always  connect¬ 
ed  with  the  possession  of  the  richest  spiritual  blessings ; 
particularly  the  peace  of  God. 

No  sooner  are  believers  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
Christ,  so  as  to  depend  upon  his  works  and  mediation, 
than  they  are  assured  by  the  promise  and  the  oath  of 
God,  "that  there  is  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are 
in  him,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spi¬ 
rit.”  To  this  truth  the  prophets,  the  apostles  and  the 
Redeemer  continually  bear  witness.  In  the  same  pro 
portion,  therefore,  as  they  receive  it,  their  conscience 
is  justly  quieted,  and  from  a  sharp  accuser  is  turned 
into  an  encouraging  friend.  It  now  no  longer  upbraids 
them  with  their  folly,  but  commends  their  wisdom  in 
flying  to  the  strong-hold  which  God  hath  provided;  no 
longer  haunts  them  with  apprehensions  of  approaching 
punishment,  but  registers  and  attests  their  cordial  ac¬ 
ceptance  of  the  Lord,  who  is  mighty  to  save  ;  they  have 
now  the  answer  of  a  good,  conscience  towards  God  by 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  from  the  dead.  In  this  super¬ 
natural  fact  they  can  perceive  that  the  indictment,  which 
was  against  them  for  their  transgressions  of  the  law,  is 
taken  out  of  the  way,  and  they  have  boldness  to  enter 
into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus. 

The  infinite  superiority  of  delight  which  such  persons 
must  feel  on  account  of  their  gracious  acceptance  with 
God,  no  one  can  question,  who  considers  what  different 
ideas  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  true  believers  entertain, 
both  of  the  essential  holiness  of  God,  and  of  the  demerit 
of  their  own  sin.  The  only  reason  why  the  pardoning 
mercy  of  God  is  not  universally  coveted  more  than 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


401 


either  wealth  and  honor,  is  that  men  are  generally  hard¬ 
ened  through  presumption  and  infidelity.  But  suppose 
that  your  guilt,  which  never  before  grievously  afflicted 
you,  were  now  placed  before  you  in  its  true  light ;  sup¬ 
pose,  wherever  you  went,  whatever  you  were  doing,  this 
most  awful  thought  forced  itself  upon  you  : — "  I  have 
been  an  enemy  to  God  in  practically  denying  his  go¬ 
vernment  and  robbing  him  of  his  glory ;  I  have  abused 
his  goodness,  wearied  his  patience,  and  provoked  his 
justice  to  shut  me  out  of  heaven  and  his  favor  ;  what 
must  I  do  to  be  saved  V  Suppose  in  this  distress  your 
understanding  were  enlightened,  and  your  heart  brought 
to  rely  upon  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  who  came  to 
seek  and  save  that  which  was  lost  through  sin : — can 
you  conceive  any  joy  equal  to  that  experienced  in  the 
change  from  fear  to  a  good  hope  1  Can  you  imagine  a 
more  pleasing  alteration  of  circumstances,  than  to  have 
grace,  mercy  and  peace  from  God  the  Father,  and  from 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  succeed  the  black  clouds  of  ven 
geance  which  were  threatening  every  moment  to  break 
over  your  head  1  In  this  case,  though  the  blessing  is 
purely  spiritual,  and  therefore  accounted  light  as  air  by 
the  multitude,  who  were  never  in  fear  for  themselves, 
nor  in  pain  for  their  guilt ;  yet  to  you  it  must  certainly 
prove  a  source  of  delight,  as  much  beyond  any  temporal 
mercy  as  the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  more  desired  by 
them  who  know  its  worth,  than  any  fading  good  of  this 
world,  however  useful  or  valuable  in  its  place. 

3.  Another  blessing  accompanying  the  knowledge  of 
Christ,  is  the  privilege  of  adoption  into  the  family  of 
God.  To  give  some  just  idea  of  the  delight  arising  from 
this  peculiar  privilege  of  believers,  it  is  necessary  to 
explain  the  nature  of  adoption,  as  the  practice  of  it  an¬ 
ciently  obtained.  It  was  customary,  especially  in  the 
Grecian  and  Roman  states,  for  a  man  of  wealth,  in  de¬ 
fault  of  issue  from  his  own  body,  to  make  choice  of  some 


402 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


person  upon  whom  he  put  his  name,  requiring  him  to 
relinquish  his  own  family  and  dwell  from  that  time  in 
his,  and  proclaiming  him  publicly  his  heir.  In  this  act 
there  was  an  imitation  of  nature,  and  the  afflictive  fail¬ 
ure  of  offspring  was  supplied  as  far  as  possible.  The 
person  thus  adopted  was  by  law  entitled  to  the  inherit¬ 
ance,  upon  the  decease  of  his  adopter ;  and,  however 
before  void  of  all  claim  to  such  a  benefit,  or  of  expecta¬ 
tion  of  it,  was  invested  with  the  same  privileges  as  if  he 
had  been  born  heir  to  his  benefactor.  Suppose,  then,  this 
act  of  adoption  taking  place  in  favor  of  some  desolate 
orphan,  how  conspicuous  would  be  his  exaltation!  how 
delightful  the  change  of  his  condition  !  how  happy,  in 
the  judgment  of  the  world,  the  object  of  such  a  pros¬ 
perous  providence  ! 

But  worse  than  that  of  the  most  destitute  orphan  is 
our  natural  state.  Our  great  Redeemer  teaches  us  that 
we  are  u  wretched  and  miserable,  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked,” — till  our  relation  to  him  by  a  living  faith  en¬ 
riches  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings.  Though  the  truth 
of  this  representation  should  be  disallowed  by  the  world, 
yet  all  believers  in  Christ  Jesus  acknowledge  it  to  be  a 
faithful  picture  of  their  own  case.  In  this  condition  it 
was,  they  heard,  and  understood,  and  believed  that  the 
most  merciful  God  "  sent  his  own  Son,'  made  of  a  wo¬ 
man,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were 
under  the  law,  that  they  might  receive  the  adoption  of 
sons ;”  that  by  this  means,  through  faith  in  his  name, 
they  might  become  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints,  and 
of  the  household  of  God:  "  for  to  as  many  as  received 
him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God.” 

Have  not  those  persons,  then,  who  attain  to  this  hea¬ 
venly  gift,  a  source  of  delight  above  all  others  in  the 
world  1  Have  they  not  the  utmost  cause  to  cry  out  in 
joyful  admiration,  "  Behold  what  manner  of  love  the 
Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


403 


sons  of  God  !”  what  an  height  of  honor  !  what  an  acqui¬ 
sition  of  true  riches !  for  sinners  to  he  adopted  by  the 
Lord  God  Almighty  into  a  relation  with  himself,  which 
at  once  entitles  them  to  all  things.  "For  all  things,” 
says  God,  speaking  by  his  apostle  to  true  believers,  "  are 
yours  ;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,” — that  is, 
all  means,  ordinances,  or  ministers;  "  or  the  world,”  all 
the  creatures  and  things  in  it,  as  far  as  they  can  be  of 
any  real  service ;  "  or  life,”  as  long  as  its  continuance 
can  redound  to  your  good  ;  "  or  death,”  which  will  he 
your  everlasting  gain  :  in  a  word,  "  things  present,  and 
things  to  come ;”  that  is,  all  temporal  and  eternal 
mercies,  "  are  yours,  and  ye  are  Christ’s,  and  Christ 
is  God’s.” 

O  how  immensely  large,  how  inexhaustibly  rich  is  this 
inheritance,  to  which  real  believers  in  Jesus  Christ  are 
adopted  !  It  is  impossible,  therefore,  for  them  to  read 
with  understanding  the  Scripture,  to  believe  the  promises 
of  God  made  to  all  the  living  members  of  the  church  of 
Christ,  purchased  with  his  blood,  knowing  at  the  same 
time  that  they  are  of  that  number,  and  not  rejoice. 

This  joy  is  inspired  and  supported  by  the  spirit  of 
adoption.  Through  the  fall  of  our  first  father  we  have 
been  separated  at  a  great  distance  from  God,  and  our 
alienation  from  him  is  still  more  increased  by  the  offen¬ 
ces  of  which  our  consciences  accuse  us.  Now,  as  it  is 
most  common  that  the  aggressor  can  hardly  ever  believe 
that  the  party  he  has  injured  fully  forgives  him,  so  after 
our  trespasses  against  God,  we  are  naturally  suspicious 
of  his  intentions  concerning  us.  This  distrust  aggra¬ 
vates  our  misery,  and  prevents  our  receiving  any  con¬ 
solation  from  God  when  we  most  need  it.  Hence  men 
in  their  distress,  instead  of  flying  to  him  on  the  wings 
of  confidence  and  love  as  their  Father,  their  God  and 
their  strong  salvation ;  approach  him,  compelled,  as  it 
were,  by  their  extremity,  with  a  very  faltering  tongue, 


404 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


and  a  very  timorous  heart.  Daily  observation  too  strong 
ly  proves  this  to  be  the  gloomy  condition  of  the  multi¬ 
tude  with  respect  to  God:  for,  did  they  trust  in  him  as 
their  father  or  their  friend,  they  would  not,  as  they  do, 
sink  and  be  dismayed  under  troubles,  or  be  unwilling  to 
think  much  about  him;  much  less  would  they  tremble 
and  be  afraid  of  him. 

With  real  believers  the  case  is  far  otherwise :  they 
"  have  not  received  again  the  spirit  of  bondage  to  fear, 
but  they  have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby 
they  cry,  Abba,  Father  :  the  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness 
with  their  spirit,  that  they  are  the  children  of  God.”  In 
other  words,  they  look  up  to  God  with  the  sweet  confi¬ 
dence  which  children  place  in  their  affectionate  parents  : 
not  overawed  by  his  infinite  majesty,  not  intimidated  by 
the  consciousness  of  their  guilt,  as  if  it  should  be  visited 
and  avenged  upon  them  ;  not  in  darkness  and  doubt 
about  the  disposition  of  the  Almighty  towards  them  ; 
but  assured  by  his  own  word,  ratified  by  his  Spirit,  that 
he  is  their  God,  and  that  they  are  his  people.  Or,  even 
though  they  feel  doubts  of  his  love  towards  them  ris¬ 
ing  within  their  breasts,  they  still  exercise  the  spirit  of 
adoption ;  for  they  lament  with  a  holy  shame  their  un¬ 
belief,  they  tell  him  all  they  want,  they  patiently  wait 
in  humility  till  he  sees  fit  to  help  them. 

Search  now  all  the  boasted  sources  of  human  gratifi¬ 
cation.  You  cannot  produce  a  delight  arising  from  them 
which  can  stand  in  competition  with  a  child-like  trust 
in  God ;  with  a  heart  free  from  any  other  care  but  how 
to  please  him  in  our  station,  knowing  he  is  our  best  and 
all-sufficient  friend.  No  one  who  was  ever  conscious  of 
such  a  spirit  of  adoption,  but  will  avow  the  complacency, 
the  blessed  satisfaction  he  felt  from  it.  Now  the  more 
believers  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  love  and  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, — the  more  will  they  enjoy  of 
this  spirit,  both  in  its  strength  and  in  its  duration. 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


405 


4.  Inseparably  joined  with  the  knowledge  and  privi¬ 
leges  already  mentioned,  there  is  another  source  of  pe¬ 
culiar  delight  to  real  believers,  namely,  the  exercise  of 
the  Christian  graces  wrought  in  them  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  their  repentance  (how  discouraging  an  aspect  soever 
repentance  may  wear  in  the  eyes  of  the  world)  pleasure 
still  mingles  with  their  tears ;  because  they  are  tears 
which  flow  from  a  just  and  sacred  principle  within.  They 
love  to  abase  themselves  before  God,  to  give  his  holi¬ 
ness,  justice  and  majesty  their  due  honor  ;  they  are  hap¬ 
py  whilst  they  feel  deep  relentings  for  their  past  ill  con¬ 
duct  towards  him,  who  does  not  stand  over  them  with  a 
rod  of  iron,  to  execute  vengeance  on  them  as  they  de¬ 
serve  ;  but  holds  forth  the  sceptre  of  his  grace,  that  they 
may  approach  him  and  live.  There  is  an  inconceivable 
delight  felt,  when  the  believer,  returning  to  God,  can 
say ;  rf  Lo  !  I  come  to  thee  ;  thou  art  the  Lord  whom  I 
will  serve ;  what  have  been  so  long,  by  the  basest  sac¬ 
rilege,  alienated  from  thy  blessed  service,  presence,  and 
communion,  I  now  desire  to  bring  back  to  thee.  Take 
all  the  powers  of  my  soul  and  body ;  possess  and  em¬ 
ploy  them  only  in  thy  work  and  to  thy  glory.”  When 
believers  in  this  manner  disclaim  their  own  base  inter¬ 
ests,  unreservedly,  without  intending  to  keep  any  thing 
from  G<">d ;  absolutely,  without  making  any  conditions  of 
their  own,  accepting  his  with  all  thankfulness  ;  peremp¬ 
torily,  without  halting  between  two  opinions,  as  if  they 
were  inclined  to  retract  the  surrender  of  themselves 
which  they  have  made  ;  there  is  much  delight  interwoven 
in  these  exercises  of  repentance  towards  God. 

But  still  much  more  in  acts  of  faith  towards  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;  for  in  these  there  is  a  lively  acknowledg¬ 
ment  and  habitual  consideration  of  the  highest  benefits, 
of  the  strongest  motives  to  love  and  obedience,  as  well 
as  the  strongest  ground  of  joy  and  triumph.  What  can 
you  imagine  more  delightful  than  for  men,  who  see 


406 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


themselves  all  sin  and  misery,  to  look  unto  Jesus,  who 
says  he  will  "  deliver  the  poor  and  needy  when  they 
cry  unto  him,  and  them  that  have  no  helper  ]”  Their 
own  emptiness  they  feel,  and  know  his  fulness  for  their 
relief ;  they  bow  at  his  footstool  ready  to  perish,  and  he 
receives  them  as  the  father  the  returning  prodigal,  to 
put  upon  them  the  best  robe  ;  they  confess  their  desert 
of  nothing  but  wrath,  and  he  freely  grants  them  pardon  ; 
they  know  that  without  his  interposition  they  must  have 
sunk  into  hell,  but  behold  he  has  exalted  them  into  chil¬ 
dren  of  God  and  heirs  of  glory.  What  pleasing  emo¬ 
tions  must  such  views  of  themselves  and  of  him  excite 
in  their  minds ! 

These,  reader,  are  the  permanent  sources  of  peculiar 
delight  with  which  all  real  believers  are  in  some  mea¬ 
sure  acquainted !  Hence  they  stand  quite  independent 
of  the  world  for  their  best  joys,  and  can  be  happy  in 
spite  of  all  disappointments  from  it. 

But  further,  there  are  seasons  in  which  God  is  pleased 
in  a  more  extraordinary  manner  to  grant  them  "joy  un¬ 
speakable  and  full  of  glory.”  This  he  does  commonly 
before  they  are  called  to  any  severe  trial,  or  when  they 
are  preparing  for  more  extensive  usefulness  :  then  in  a 
remarjkable  degree  God  is  "  their  exceeding  joy.”  There 
are  also  seasons  of  devotion,  both  public  and  secret, 

When  their  souls, 

Snatch’d  by  the  Spirit’s  power  from  their  cells 
Of  fleshly  thraldom,  feel  themselves  up-borne 
On  plumes  of  ecstasy,  and  boldly  spring 
Up  to  the  porch  of  heaven. 

Let  us  sum  up  now  what  have  been  insisted  on  as  the 
several  sources  of  happiness  peculiar  to  real  Christians. 

They  only  possess  that  excellent  knowledge  which 
brings  with  it  the  peace  of  God  and  the  blessings  of  re¬ 
demption :  they  only  are  the  children  of  God  by  adop- 


SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


407 


tion  and  grace,  and  have  the  disposition  of  children 
towards  him  :  they  only  are  conscious  of  the  exercises 
of  repentance  and  faith,  love  and  hope,  and  of  every 
grace  in  which  the  renovation  of  the  mind  after  the 
image  of  God  consists:  they  only  experience  pleasure 
in  communion  with  God  ;  and  sometimes  feel  a  trans¬ 
port  which  is  remembered  with  lively  thankfulness 
long  after  the  delightful  sensation  which  first  excited  it 
is  worn  off. 

"  Let  not  the  wise  man  then  glory  in  his  wisdom, 
neither  let  the  mighty  man  glory  in  his  might ;  let  not 
the  rich  man  glory  in  his  riches  — for  neither  learning, 
nor  power,  nor  wealth  are  the  sources  of  happiness  or¬ 
dained  for  men ;  "  but  let  him  that  glorieth,  glory  in 
this,  that  he  understandeth  and  knoweth  God  5”  who, 
though  he  hath  his  throne  in  heaven,  doth  indeed  dwell 
with  the  faithful  on  earth,  and  in  their  behalf  exerciseth 
especial  loving-kindness,  judgment  and  righteousness  j 
"  for  in  these  things  I  delight,  saith  the  Lord.”  Jer. 
9 :  23,  24. 

Judge  no  longer  then  after  the  flesh  concerning  the 
sources  of  true  happiness ;  for  they  are  no  more  per¬ 
ceptible  by  sense  than  are  the  excellencies  of  the  mind, 
or  the  pleasures  of  learning  and  genius.  As  you  would 
justly  meet  with  contempt  from  the  world  for  your 
ignorance  and  stupidity,  should  you  dare  to  say  that 
there  is  no  delight  in  studying  the  fine  arts,  or  in 
making  discoveries  in  nature  by  philosophical  penetra¬ 
tion  ;  because  these  things  are  not  adapted  to  the  taste, 
or  within  the  comprehension  of  the  vulgar ;  because 
they  are  neither  showy  nor  palpable,  like  the  pleasures 
of  the  sensualist :  so  you  may  equally  betray  your  own 
miserable  ignorance  in  the  sight  of  all  the  excellent  of 
the  earth,  when  you  dare  to  deny  the  present  delight 
enjoyed  by  those  who  believe  to  the  saving  of  their 
souls. 


*08 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Pray,  therefore,  for  divine  knowledge  to  correct  your 
depraved  apprehensions,  and  to  remove  your  grossness 
and  unbelief  of  heart.  Then  you  will  perceive  that 
Christians  are  not  more  distinguished  by  purity  of  prac¬ 
tice,  than  by  their  superior  pleasures :  then  you  will 
understand  (contrary  to  the  low  thoughts  entertained 
of  the  Christian’s  choice,  contrary  to  the  impious  pre¬ 
judices  abounding  every  where  against  it)  that  among 
all  the  objects  of  sense,  the  eye  never  saw  any  thing  so 
grand  and  beautiful,  the  ear  never  heard  any  thing  so 
delightful  and  advantageous ;  amongst  all  the  branches 
of  science,  the  thoughts  of  man  did  never  comprehend 
any  thing  so  completely  adapted  to  bless  the  whole 
soul,  "as  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them 
that  love  him,” — even  "before  the  sons  of  men:”  which 
things  are  given  to  them  on  this  side  the  grave,  as  a 
pledge  of  what  they  shall  possess  in  the  perfection  of 
glory  to  all  eternity.  1  Cor.  2 :  9.  Ps.  31  :  19. 


CHRISTIAN  JOY.  109 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

>  V  _  . 

'  *  •. 

^  *  1  '  > 

CII11IS TI*1JY  J f 0 1 \—com  Zinued* 

■  '  -  \  w  w  ?f  \  ‘  .  '  : 

.  .  *  '  ~  '  * '  r  * 

THE  REASONABLENESS  OF  EXPECTING  IT. 

.  There  is  nothing  perhaps,  at  first  view,  more  unac» 
countable  than  the  strong  prejudices  which  are  enter¬ 
tained  against  the  peculiar  delights  which  spring  from 
the  knowledge  of  Christ.  That  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  should  offend  is  no  wonder,  for  the  haughty 
spirit  of  man  cannot  brook  the  self-abasement  they  re¬ 
quire.  That  its  precepts  should  be  complained  of,  it  is 
easy  to  suppose  from  the  self-denial  they  enjoin.  But 
that  men,  who  call  themselves  Christians,  should  quarrel 
even  with  the  joys  of  their  own  religion ;  that  they 
should  contemn  them  as  at  variance  with  solid  reason 
and  sound  judgment,  is  indeed  a  most  surprising  fact : 
since  upon  the  bare  report  of  such  sources  of  joy,  our 
natural  desire  of  happiness,  one  would  conclude,  must 
strongly  prompt  us  to  wish  them  real  3  and  frequent 
disappointment  from  the  world  must  incline  us  to  think 
it  also  reasonable,  that  there  should  be  some  friendly 
sanctuary  appointed  for  man,  in  which  true  joy  and 
peace  might  be  found. 

But  upon  closer  inquiry  we  shall  discover  the  ground 
of  these  violent  prejudices  against  the  joys  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith.  If  these  joys  were  allowed  to  be  real,  then 
those  who  have  no  experience  of  them  must,  by  their 
own  confession,  discover  that  they  themselves  are  des¬ 
titute  of  true  Christianity ;  they  must  be  compelled  to 
own  how  low  their  own  religion  is,  which  consists  in 

18 


Duty  if  Man. 


4-10 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


assenting  to  Scripture  truths  without  feeling  their 
power ;  in  a  round  of  duties  without  spiritual  life  ;  in 
being  honest,  sober  and  harmless,  without  any  more 
delight  in  God  than  professed  infidels  experience.  The 
character,  peace  and  security,  therefore,  of  all  nominal 
Christians  are  at  stake,  and  they  are  concerned  for  their 
own  sakes  to  cry  down  that  joy  as  enthusiastic,  to 
which  they  are  themselves  strangers.  Add  to  this  that 
"  the  spirit  that  lusteth  in  us  to  envy,”  cannot  allow 
others  to  receive  tokens  of  the  favorable  loving-kind 
ness  of  God,  of  which  we  do  not  partake  ourselves. 

From  these  causes,  enforced  perhaps  by  a  few  in 
stances  of  real  delusion,  we  may  fairly  account  for  the 
general  prejudice  against  one  of  the  noblest  privileges 
of  a  Christian,  delight  and  joy  in  God. 

In  vindication,  therefore,  of  this  privilege,  I  shall 
prove  it  reasonable  to  conclude  that  real  Christians  may 
experience,  from  the  sources  of  joy  already  mentioned, 
peculiar  happiness;  and  that  it  is  certain  they  in  fact  do. 

1.  First  then,  It  is  most  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
real  Christians  may  experience  peculiar  happiness,  be¬ 
cause  the  infinitely  glorious  God  always  proposes  him¬ 
self,  in  his  own  blessed  word,  to  our  conceptions,  under 
the  character  of  a  Father  to  the  faithful  in  Christ,  in  a 
sense  to  which  none  besides  themselves  can  lay  claim. 
It  would  be  endless  to  cite  all  the  passages  which  assert 
this  important  distinction.  The  Kedeemer,  in  the  plain¬ 
est  manner  possible,  distinguishes  all  believers,  to  the 
end  of  time,  from  the  rest  of  mankind:  "For  whoso¬ 
ever,”  says  he,  "shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  which 
is  in  heaven,” — that  is,  in  believing  reverential  regard  to 
me, — "  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother.  ” 
And  when  he  was  going  into  heaven  he  said  unto  the 
representatives  of  the  whole  body  of  believers,  "  I  as¬ 
cend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and  to  my  God 
and  your  God.”  The  apostle  makes  the  very  same  dis- 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


411 


tinction,  and  exhorts  those  who  were  wavering  whether 
they  should  separate  and  come  out  from  the  world  or 
not,  to  shun  all  conformity  to  the  ungodly  from  this 
very  motive,  that  then  God  would  ”  receive  them  and 
be  a  Father  unto  them,  that  they  should  be  his  sons  and 
daughters.”  2  Cor.  6  :  17,  18. 

As  the  great  God  then  stands  in  this  relation  of  a  Fa- 
ther  peculiarly  to  true  believers,  we  may  assuredly  con- 
elude  from  thence,  notwithstanding  the  distance  between 
him  and  us,  that  his  affection  towards  these  his  children 
far  surpasses  the  love  of  earthly  parents  towards  their 
own  offspring.  But  where  is  the  parent  worthy  of  that 
tender  name,  who  does  not  manifest  his  delight  in  all  his 
dutiful  children — who  does  not  make  their  state  of  sub¬ 
jection  a  pleasure  to  them  by  numerous  tokens  of  pa 
rental  love  1  Is  it  not  reasonable  then  to  conclude  that 

A 

the  eternal  Father  may  make  as  sensible  a  difference 
between  believers  and  hypocrites,  as  we  do  between  our 
duteous  children,  who  deserve  and  want  encouragement 
from  us,  and  stubborn  ones  who  must  be  kept  under  a 
frown  1 — that  he  should  manifest  himself  to  the  one  as 
he  doth  not  to  the  other  1 — that,  to  use  his  own  words, 
'This  secret  should  be  with  them  that  fear  him,  and  that 
he  should  show  them  his  covenant,”  whilst  others  re¬ 
main  in  a  state  of  distance  from  him  I — whilst  utter 
strangers  to  spiritual  light,  they  are  left  to  grovel  in  the 
pleasures  of  sin  and  the  things  of  time,  which  they  are 
base  enough  to  prefer  to  God,  and  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace  I  Certainly  this  is  a  most  rational  conclusion;  es 
pecially  when  it  is  considered  that  believers  are  declar 
ed  through  the  whole  Bible  to  be  the  delight  ar  d  the 
treasure  of  God. 

Nor  is  this  to  be  objected  against,  as  implying  on  the 
one  hand  too  great  a  humiliation  in  the  God  of  glory,  or 
on  the  other,  making  men  of  too  great  importance  with 
him;  because  this  Scripture  account  of  the  connection 


412 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


between  God  and  believers  necessarily  supposes  such 
condescension  and  regard  to  be  paid  to  them.  He  there¬ 
fore,  who,  upon  either  of  these  presumptions,  is  ready 
to  deride  the  peculiar  joy  of  believers,  despiseth  not 
man,  but  his  adorable  Creator,  who  expressly  says  of 
the  faithful,  "  I  will  dwell  in  them,  and  walk  in  them  ; 
and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.” 
2  Cor.  6  :  16. 

2.  Further ;  The  reasonableness  of  supposing  that  be¬ 
lievers  may  experience  peculiar  delight,  will  appear 
more  evident,  from  considering  in  what  manner  a  tender 
father  treats  his  children ,  who  from  their  relation  to  him 
are  exposed  to  the  persecution  of  his  foes.  Here  all  the 
fire  of  parental  love  blazes  out $  here  it  is  the  parent’s 
highest  gratification  to  caress  his  suffering  children  with 
all  possible  demonstrations  of  his  delight  in  them.  If  we 
then,  to  use  our  Lord’s  inference,  being  evil,  know  how 
in  such  cases  to  reward,  by  an  overflowing  of  affection, 
our  children  ;  how  much  more  shall  our  heavenly  F ather 
in  some  better  manner  give  tokens  of  his  delight  in  them 
who  are  sufferers  through  zeal  to  his  truth,  and  love  to 
his  name  1  But  who  can  be  a  Christian,  according  to  the 
Scripture  definition  of  that  character,  and  not  suffer  for 
#  it,  whilst  the  world  lieth  in  wickedness  I  Who  can  ab¬ 
stain  from  all  profaneness  and  carelessness,  without 
meeting  immediately  with  much  to  exercise  his  patience, 
to  try  his  courage,  and  to  prove  his  Christian  fidelity  1 
What  young  person  especially,  (and  a  very  great  part  of 
the  servants  of  God  devote  themselves  to  him  in  the 
days  of  their  youth,)  what  young  person,  I  say,  shall  dare 
to  be  more  godly  than  those  about  him  choose  to  be 
themselves,  without  experiencing  a  persecution,  which, 
though  domestic  and  little  observed,  is  very  grievous  to 
flesh  and  blood  to  bear  1  In  such  cases  does  not  sound 
reason  justify  the  Scripture  assertion,  and  teach  us  to 
conclude,  that  God  will  afford  some  immediate  counter- 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


413 


balance  to  what  is  inflicted  upon  these  confessors  of  his 
name  and  truth  1  that  he  will  enlighten  the  eyes  of  their 
understanding  to  "  know  what  is  the  hope  of  their  call¬ 
ing,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance 
in  the  saints,  and  what  is  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his 
power  towards  them  that  believe,”  to  save  and  defend 
them  1  Wherfe  is  the  enthusiasm  of  supposing  that  in 
such  cases  this  Scripture  is  fulfilled  to  the  joy  of  every 
believer’s  heart  1  "  O  how  great  is  thy  goodness,”  0 
God,  "which  thou  hast  laid  up  for  them  that  fear  thee; 
which  thou  hast  wrought  for  them  that  trust  in  thee  be 
fore  the  sons  of  men !  Thou  shalt  hide  them  in  the  se¬ 
cret  of  thy  presence  from  the  pride  of  man :  thou  shah 
keep  them  secretly  in  a  pavilion  from  the  strife  of 
tongues.”  Psalm  31  :  19,  20.  In  this  passage  the  Al¬ 
mighty  is  represented  as  giving  his  faithful  people  such 
a  lively  sense  of  his  favorable  presence  with  them  as 
shall  keep  them  from  growing  weary  of  his  service,  and 
from  repenting  of  their  boldness  for  his  truth  :  for  by  the 
secret  communication  of  his  grace  and  comfort  to  them, 
they  shall  pass  their  time  as  in  a  pavilion  or  tent,  a 
place  made  on  purpose  for  delight,  though  the  strife  of 
opposing  or  reviling  tongues  be  heard  around  them. 

Which  position,  then,  is  most  reasonable  and  conso 
nant  to  the  Scripture  character  of  God, — to  assert  that 
he  does,  or  that  he  does  not  in  this  manner  care  for 
those  that  love  him  I  And  if  it  be  allowed  that  he  exer¬ 
cises  all  the  favor  promised  to  them  in  the  Bible,  it  may 
be  asked,  Which  is  the  absurd  position,  to  affirm  that 
they  may,  or  to  be  peremptory  that  they  do  not  enjoy, 
in  the  midst  of  their  self-denied  obedience,  such  delight 
as  others  know  not  of,  and  which  is  far  better  than  all 
the  joys  of  the  world  1 

3.  It  is  most  reasonable  also  to  conclude,  that  believ¬ 
ers  in  Christ  Jesus  may  experience  very  peculiar  de¬ 
light,  because  they  seek  their  joy  from  God  alone.  The 


( 


414 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  JOAN. 


acquisition  of  riches  will  not  satisfy  them,  nor  the  en¬ 
joyment  of  health,  or  honor,  or  long  life.  ”  Lord,”  they 
cry,  "  who  is  like  unto  thee  1  Lift  thou  up  the  light  of 
thy  countenance  upon  us  $  this  will  put  more  joy  into 
our  hearts  than  the  increase  of  corn  and  wine.”  What 
then  is  there  savoring  of  enthusiasm  in  supposing  that 
God,  who  both  deserves  such  supreme  love,  and  strictly 
requires  it,  should  answer  those,  who  thus  give  unto 
him  the  honor  due  unto  his  name,  according  to  the  de¬ 
sires  of  their  hearts  1 — what  more  reasonable,  than  to 
conclude  that  all  those  who  are  so  divinely  changed  as 
to  prefer  infinitely  the  delight  of  communion  with  God, 
to  every  thing  earthly  and  sensual,  should  each  of  them 
have  immediate  cause  to  say,  ”  The  word  of  our  God 
is  true  ;  he  hath  done  unto  me  according  to  the  decla¬ 
ration  of  his  grace,  in  which  he  caused  me  to  put  my 
trust !”  "  I  love  them,”  saith  the  Lord,  "  that  love  me, 
and  they  that  seek  me  early  (earnestly)  shall  find  me. 
Riches  and  honor  are  with  me,  yea,  durable  riches  and 
righteousness  ;  that  I  may  cause  those  who  love  me  to 
inherit  substance,  and  I  will  fill  their  treasures.”  Prov. 
S  :  17,  18,  21. 

4.  Again :  It  is  highly  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
real  Christians  may  enjoy  peculiar  happiness  in  this  life, 
because  shortly  their  eternal  state  will  be  so  immensely 
different  from*  that  of  the  careless  and  ungodly.  The 
latter,  alas  !  hardened  even  unto  death,  then  meet  with  a 
full  reward  for  their  deeds  in  the  frown  of  an  angry  God, 
and  in  the  feelings  of  a  conscience  that  can  know  no 
rest.  The  former  are  no  sooner  absent  from  the  body 
than  we  are  assured  they  shall  be  present  with  the  Lord . 

I  would  ask  then,  Is  it  not  most  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  some  kind  of  anticipation  of  this  bliss  is  enjoyed 
before  the  fulness  of  it  is  revealed  to  their  transported 
souls  \ — that  those  blessed  heirs  of  salvation  who  are 
soon  to  inherit  the  promises,  should  have  a  delightful 


I 


CHRISTIAN  JOY.  415 

acquaintance  with  their  meaning  and  appropriation  be- 
forehand,  and  some  degree  of  joy  in  their  God,  the 
same  in  kind  with  what  is  reserved  for  them  in  heaven  1 
that  those,  whom  the  King  of  kings  will  confess  before 
men  and  angels,  and  reward  with  everlasting  honors, 
should  in  their  own  consciences  rejoice  in  the  hope  of 
glory,  and,  as  the  Scripture  affirms,  should  be  sealed  ” 
of  God,  and  have  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  their 
hearts  1  Is  not  this  much  more  reasonable  than  the 
supposition,  that  those  who  are  very  soon  to  be  as 
widely  distant  from  each  other  as  heaven  from  hell, 
should  be  at  present  alike  destitute  of  any  sensible  en¬ 
joyment  of  the  divine  favor  1 — that  both  should  be  left 
to  go  on  till  the  day  of  death  and  final  separation ;  the 
one  no  more  than  the  other  experiencing  the  comfort 
of  God’s  Spirit,  the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  the 
joy  of  his  salvation  1  Certainly  there  can  be  no  greater 
absurdity  than  to  imagine  this. 

What  has  been  said  may  suffice  to  prove,  that  it  is  not 
in  the  least  degree  enthusiastic  to  conclude  that  the 
faithful  in  Christ  Jesus  may  have  peculiar  gratifications 
of  their  own  ;  and  it  may  convince  us  that  the  experience 
of  these  delights,  too  often  exploded  as  delusive,  will 
appear,  upon  closer  examination,  to  be  perfectly  rational. 

5.  But  it  is  not  merely  upon  its  reasonableness  that 
we  rest  the  belief  of  a  Christian’s  enjoying  superior 
delights :  the  Scripture,  our  only  unerring  guide,  has 
taught  us  to  expect  it :  it  has  been  foretold  by  the  pro¬ 
phets  and  promised  by  the  Redeemer.  By  the  prophets 
it  is  foretold  with  as  much  clearness,  and  in  as  strong 
terms,  as  either  the  holiness  of  Christians  or  the  glory 
of  their  Redeemer.  Thus  in  Psalm  89  :  15,  16,  17,  the 
whole  body  of  believers  is  in  this  manner  characterized : 
"  Blessed  is  the  people  that  know  the  joyful  sound  ;  they 
shall  walk,  0  Lord,  in  the  light  of  thy  countenance.  In 
thy  name  shall  they  rejoice  all  the  day:  and  in  thy 


416 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


righteousness  shall  they  be  exalted :  for  thou  art  the 
glory  of  their  strength,  and  in  thy  favor  our  horn  shall 
be  exalted.  For  the  Lord  is  our  defence,  and  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  is  our  King.”  In  what  stronger  colors 
than  these  could  any  person,  whose  life  was  one  con¬ 
tinued  scene  of  enjoyment,  be  represented 'l  For  what 
first  strikes  the  eye  as  the  principal  feature  in  this 
painting,  is  the  peculiar  delight  of  believers  in  Christ ; 
delight  arising  merely  from  their  knowledge  and  clear 
understanding  of  the  everlasting  Gospel,  called  in  this 
passage,  "  The  joyful  sound.” 

Full  of  the  same  spirit  of  inspiration,  Isaiah  describes 
the  Christian  church  as  rejoicing  before  God  "  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  .joy  in  harvest,  and  as  men  rejoice  when  they 
divide  the  spoil :”  and  the  cause  of  their  exultation  is, 
that  "Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given  : 
and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor, 
The  mighty  God,  The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince 
of  Peace.”  Isaiah,  9:6.  In  another  part  of  his  writings 
Christian  believers  are  represented  under  the  image  of 
persons  brought  by  the  Lord  of  hosts  to  a  festivity 
where  pleasures  are  crowded  to  give  entertainment  t<5 
each  of  the  senses  5  where  every  thing  that  can  regale, 
gratify  and  exhilarate,  is  poured  forth  in  the  greatest 
abundance.  Isaiah,  25  :  6.  In  other  passages  they  are 
spoken  of  as  returning  to  Sion  "  with  songs  and  ever¬ 
lasting  joy  upon  their  heads  :” — "  as  going  out  with  joy, 
and  led  forth  with  peace.”  Isa.  35  :  10  ;  55  :  12.  Every 
one  of  these  passages,  and  many  more  that  might  be 
produced,  relate  wholly  to  the  joyful  frame  of  mind 
with  which  the  church  of  Christ  was  to  receive  his 
Gospel.  But  what  likeness  doth  the  picture  bear  to  the 
persons  for  whom  it  was  drawn,  unless  believers  enjoy 
much  spiritual  delight  1  Between  mere  nominal  Chris¬ 
tians,  who  are  made  no  happier  by  their  faith,  and  true 
Christians  thus  represented  by  the  prophets,  there  is  no 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


417 


resemblance.  Yet  surely  we  cannot  but  observe,  that 
so  positive  is  the  prophetic  description  that  such  shall 
be  the  enjoyment  of  Christ’s  faithful  people,  that  the 
veracity  of  God  stands  engaged  to  make  good  the  de¬ 
lightful  prediction.  Unless  therefore,  with  the  Saddu- 
eees,  we  deny  the  authority  of  the  prophetic  books,  we 
must  allow  that  Christians  certainly  possess  incom¬ 
parable  joys. 

Further,  What  the  prophets  foretold  with  one  voice, 
the  Redeemer  himself  has  confirmed  by  his  own  express 
declarations  and  promises.  On  account  of  the  blessings 
which  his  Gospel,  as  soon  as  it  is  truly  believed,  puts  a 
man  in  possession  of,  and  the  joy  with  which  it  inspires 
and  fills  his  soul,  he  says,  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
like  unto  a  treasure  hid  in  a  field :  the  which  when  a 
man  hath  found  he  hideth,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth 
and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field.” 
Matt.  13  :  44.  We  know  how  the  news  of  an  estate  un¬ 
expectedly  bequeathed  to  us  elevates  the  heart :  in  the 
very  same  manner  Christ  in  this  passage  declares,  that 
a  clear  view  of  the  glory  of  the  Gospel  affects  the  be¬ 
liever.  In  another  place  he  represents  the  immediate 
effect  of  believing  in  his  name  to  be  such  an  abundant 
satisfaction  to  the  soul,  as  to  extinguish  its  restless  ap¬ 
petite  for  the  things  of  the  world,  and  to  cause  fresh 
supports  and  consolations  to  spring  up  to  an  overflow 
ing  fulness,  till  all  the  believer’s  wants  are  entirely  re* 
moved,  and  all  his  desires  completely  satisfied  in  the 
enjoyment  of  eternal  life  :  "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst ;  but  the 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of 
water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life.”  John,  4  :  14. 
"He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said 
out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.  But 
this  spake  Jesus  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe 
on  him  should  receive.”  John,  7 :  38,  39. 

18* 


418 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


In  what  more  express  terms,  by  wliat  more  lively 
images  could  the  possession  of  peace  and  joy  by  his  true 
disciples  be  asserted  1  And  this  is  not  confined  to  the 
more  eminent  followers  of  the  Lamb,  but  is  the  common 
privilege  of  every  one  who  drinketh  of  the  water  which 
Christ  giveth,  of  every  one  that  believeth  on  his  name 
What  the  woman  of  Samaria  thus  heard  in  private  at  one 
time  from  the  mouth  of  Jesus,  and  the  vast  concourse 
of  Jewish  people  at  another,  of  the  happiness  of  believ¬ 
ing  on  his  name,  under  the  figure  of  a  fountain,  and  ri¬ 
vers  of  living  waters,  he  plainly  and  literally  affirms  to 
nis  apostles  in  his  affectionate  and  parting  conversation 
with  them.  "He  that  hath  my  commandments,” — who 
understands,  receives  and  embraces  them  all,  "  and  keep- 
eth  them,” — not  only  extols,  but  will  not  violate  them, 
whatever  loss  or  suffering  they  may  expose  him  to ; 
"  he  it  is  that  loveth  me  :  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall 
be  loved  of  my  Father,  and  I  will  love  him  and  manifest 
myself  to  him :”  he  shall  not  only  be  the  object  of  my 
delight  and  of  my  affections,  but  live  under  the  sensible 
manifestations  of  my  glory,  faithfulness  and  grace.  One 
of  his  disciples,  clearly  understanding  the  Redeemer  to 
mean  some  inestimable  favor  which  was  to  be  enjoyed 
by  them,  and  not  by  the  world,  asks  him,  "  How  is  it 
that  thou  wilt  manifest  thyself  unto  us,  and  not  unto  the 
world  1  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  If  any  man 
love  me  he  will  keep  my  words,  and  my  Father  will  love 
him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode 
with  him ;”  not  leaving  him,  as  one  friend  does  another, 
after  a  transient  visit,  sorrowing  the  more  for  his  ab¬ 
sence,  but  as  a  fixed  inhabitant,  whose  presence  shall  be 
experienced  in  light  and  strength,  comfort  and  joy.  Lest 
this  evidence  should  not  be  sufficient  to  overcome  the 
unbelief  of  the  human  heart,  with  respect  to  the  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  such  spiritual  delight  in  the  service  of  Christ, 
he  says  again,  "  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace,”  such 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


419 


as  I  myself  enjoy,  as  well  as  bestow,  "  I  give  unto  you.” 
And  lest  it  should  be  thought  his  followers  in  distant 
ages  of  the  world  were  not  so  much  interested  in  these 
promises  as  his  immediate  disciples,  he  comprehends 
the  apostles,  and  all  that  should  ever  believe  in  him 
through  their  word,  in  one  and  the  same  all-prevailing 
prayer,  which  concludes  with  these  words,  equally  ap¬ 
plicable  to  his  whole  church,  which  shall  be  saved, 
"  That  the  love  wherewith  thou  hast  loved  me  may  be 
in  them,  and  I  in  them.”  John,  17  :  26. 


CHAPTER  XL. 


CauiSTMJV  JOIT.— continued. 


ITS  CERTAINTY  AND  BENEFITS. 


It  is  of  so  much  importance  to  give  a  just  impression 
of  the  happiness  of  the  service  of  our  Redeemer,  that 
we  have  been  very  full  in  explaining  the  sources  from 
which  it  arises,  and  the  reasonableness  of  expecting  it ; 
but  however  reasonable  it  may  be  that  Christians  should 
expect  it,  still  it  will  be  inquired,  whether,  in  point  of 
fact,  they  do  enjoy  it.  This  inquiry  I  shall  now  answer 
And  here  let  me  first  refer  you  to  the  example  of  the 
primitive  Christians.  Immediately  after  that  great  con¬ 
version  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  their  behavior  is  de¬ 
scribed  in  several  particulars,  and  their  state  of  mind, 
which  indeed  showed  itself  in  their  actions,  is  suffi¬ 
ciently  signified  by  two  words,  "  gladness  ”  or  exultation, 
and  "  singleness  ”  of  heart.  In  the  same  book  of  the 


420 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


Acts,  after  Philip’s  preaching  in  the  city  of  Samaria  is 
mentioned,  it  is  remarked,  "  There  was  great  joy  in  that 
city.”  When  the  jailor  who  had  St.  Paul  in  custody, 
had  heard  him  once  speak  the  word  of  the  Lord  j  be¬ 
sides  his  actions,  which  plainly  implied  great  alacrity  of 
heart,  it  is  expressly  added  in  the  close,  that  "he  rejoic* 
ed.”  The  same  account  is  given  of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch. 
As  soon  as  Philip  had  preached  Jesus  unto  him,  he  was 
baptized ;  and  though  his  heaven-appointed  guide  was 
snatched  from  him,  yet  the  doctrine  taking  place  in  his 
heart,  "he  went  on  his  way,”  it  is  not  said  reasoning, 
or  deeply  meditating  only,  but  "rejoicing.”  Indeed  we 
have  reason  to  think  that  all  who  heard  the  Gospel  to 
any  good  purpose,  heard  it  with  the  same  sentiments 
of  joy.  They  acted  at  first  like  persons  quite  amazed 
and  surprised  with  the  grace  of  God.  Before  habit  or 
improvement  could  have  had  time,  as  yet,  to  manifest 
themselves,  they  were  raised  by  the  pure  joy  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  above  this  world,  and  ready  in  its  defence  to  em¬ 
brace  the  martyr’s  stake.  Now  if,  when  the  Gospel  was 
first  published,  the  genuine  effect  of  it  in  every  place 
was  gladness  of  heart,  you  must  either  affirm  that  the 
Christians  who  lived  at  the  first  promulgation  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  were  of  a  quite  different  species  from  those  who  now 
sincerely  profess  the  same  faith,  or  you  must  grant  it  to 
be  a  certain  fact,  that  all  real  Christians  "  rejoice  in  the  ’ 
Lord,  and  joy  in  the  God  of  their  salvation.” 

To  evade  this  conclusion,  it  has  been  urged,  that  the 
persecutions  which  took  place  in  the  first  ages  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  called  for  such  manifestations  of  God’s  love  :  but 
that  now  they  are  no  longer  needed ,  and  therefore  not  to 
be  expected.  As  this  assertion  is  become  very  general, 
and  its  influence  extremely  pernicious,  it  shall  receive 
a  full  refutation. 

Adopt,  then,  this  false  notion,  and  Scripture  itself  must 
lose  its  chief  value.  For  we  may  say  with  as  much  rea* 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


421 


son  of  the  whole,  as  of  those  passages  which  have  been 
urged  above,  that  they  were  delivered  to  particular  per¬ 
sons  on  particular  occasions.  Wherefore,  if  Scripture 
belongs  to  those  to  whom  it  was  first  addressed,  in  a 
sense  in  which  it  belongs  not  to  the  church  in  every 
age,  then  the  Bible,  instead  of  being  a  system  of  eternal 
truth,  and  an  invariable  rule  of  life,  equally  obligatory 
on  all  Christians,  will  dwindle  into  an  antiquated,  obso¬ 
lete  book.  It  will  absolutely  require  a  discrimination 
to  be  settled  between  the  Scripture  designed  for  the 
comfort  and  joy  of  the  first  believers  in  Christ,  and  that 
which  those  who  live  in  after  ages  may  claim :  just  as 
some  papists  divide  the  practical  part  of  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament  into  absolute  commands,  which  belong  to  all, 
and  counsels  of  perfection  given  only  to  a  few. 

Besides,  this  notion  is  contrary  to  Scripture.  St.John 
declares,  the  end  for  which  he  labored  to  establish  Chris¬ 
tianity,  was  not  merely  the  belief  of  the  miracles,  death 
and  resurrection  of  Christ,  but  "  that  ye,”  saith  he, 
"  might  have  fellowship  with  us,”  i.  e.  an  equal  share 
in  all  the  high  privileges,  holy  influences  and  divine 
consolations  which  belong  to  that  one  body,  the  church, 
of  which  Christ  himself,  full  of  power  and  glory,  is  the 
head.  But  we  flatly  contradict  the  apostle,  when  we 
affirm  that  there  is  a  difference  in  point  of  spiritual  pri¬ 
vileges  between  even  the  chosen  twelve,  and  those  who 
have  obtained  like  precious  faith  with  them  to  the  end 
of  time. 

But  the  absurdity  of  this  popular  notion  is  no  less 
gross  than  its  contradiction  to  Scripture.  For,  have  not 
all  Christians  one  faith  1  The  truth  that  saves  them,  is 
it  not  invariably  the  same  1  Have  they  not  one  Spirit 
to  teach  this  truth  to  the  mind,  and  make  it  effectual  1 
Is  not  the  practice  of  duty  in  the  same  extent  required! 
the  same  sacrifice  of  worldly  interests!  the  cutting  off 
the  right  hand,  and  plucking  out  the  right  eye  !  And  is 


422 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


not  one  heaven  the  everlasting  habitation  of  all  true 
Christians  1  As  there  is  a  perfect  parity,  then,  in  all  these 
most  interesting  points,  what  reason  can  there  be  to 
suppose  that  there  should  arise  such  a  vast  dispropor¬ 
tion  in  the  matter  of  present  joy  and  delight,  from  the 
influence  of  the  same  truth,  the  same  hope,  and  the 
same  Spirit  %  Especially,  since  the  word  of  God  informs 
\is,  that  all  who  are  ever  disposed  to  embrace  the  hea¬ 
venly  Physician  must  first  feel  the  sickness  of  their 
souls,  and  their  danger  of  eternal  death ;  that  all  who 
will  be  saved,  must  be  first  weary  and  heavy-laden  with 
the  burden  of  their  guilt.  This  conviction  annihilates, 
as  it  were,  all  the  distance  of  time,  and  all  difference 
of  external  circumstances  between  the  contemporaries 
with  Christ  and  his  apostles,  and  succeeding  believers, 
to  the  end  of  the  world  :  because  without  this  conviction 
of  sin,  though  Paul  were  preaching,  or  Jesus  himself 
working  miracles  before  our  eyes,  his  salvation  must  be 
rejected;  and  with  it,  the  record  God  has  given  of  his 
Son  becomes  precious,  he  is  altogether  lovely  and  full 
of  glory. 

But  besides  the  united  testimony  of  prophets,  apos¬ 
tles,  and  the  Savior  himself,  in  proof  that  real  believers 
in  his  name  do  actually  enjoy  peculiar  delight  in  his 
service,  there  is  the  evidence  of  daily  fact.  For  how  can 
we  otherwise  account  for  the  total  alteration  both  of 
choice  and  conduct  in  some  persons  of  all  ranks,  and 
of  all  ages,  and  of  all  tempers,  as  soon  as  they  really 
behold  the  glory  of  the  Gospel  %  All  these  are  unani¬ 
mous  in  avowing  that  they  never  knew  what  true  hap¬ 
piness  meant  before  they  believed.  Whatever  they 
found  formerly  from  the  pleasures  of  sin,  they  confess 
has  been  rendered  comparatively  worthless  in  their 
view  by  their  spiritual  joy.  Hence,  long  after  the  ter¬ 
rors  of  the  Lord  have  ceased  to  awaken  their  fears, 
they  keep  at  a  distance  from  sin  and  vanity,  from  per- 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


423 


sons,  things,  and  amusements  on  which  they  once 
doted,  in  order  to  enjoy  more  of  what  now  makes  them 
happy.  Nor  can  this  he  owing  to  notions  put  into  their 
heads,  or  to  the  force  of  imagination  exciting  fantastic 
joy,  because  great  numbers  have  had  no  idea  that  there 
was  any  such  thing  as  delight  in  God,  till  it  sprung  up 
in  their  own  hearts,  at  once  the  object  of  their  surprise 
and  the  cause  of  their  preference  of  the  service  of  the 
Lord  to  all  other  things.  Add  to  this  that  many  who, 
notwithstanding  their  meek  and  prudent  deportment, 
fall  under  the  displeasure  of  their  relatives  for  their 
godliness,  and  are  treated  with  hardship  on  that  ac¬ 
count,  are  still  far  from  desiring  to  make  their  peace 
at  the  expense  of  becoming  gay,  foolish  and  careless, 
as  they  once  were.  They  can  find  a  sweetness  in  se¬ 
cret  prayer,  reading  and  meditation,  which  is  better  to 
them  than  all  their  former  idle  mirth  and  loud  laughter, 
with  the  friendship  and  good  countenance  of  the  family 
to  reward  it. 

If  it  be  asked,  Who  knows  such  instances  1  I  answer, 
the  history  of  the  church  attests  that  there  have  been 
such  in  all  ages.  The  most  serious  and  godly  part  of 
the  Christian  world  at  this  very  day,  young  as  well  as 
old,  are  all  witnesses  of  this  truth;  whilst  on  account 
of  the  better  pleasure  they  are  acquainted  with,  and  not 
from  any  cynical  humor,  they  have  lost  their  taste  for 
the  trash  and  folly  in  which  they  themselves  had  once  as 
much  joy  as  others.  Unless,  therefore,  we  will  shut  our 
2ars  against  the  plain  voice  of  Scripture,  and  our  eyes 
against  what  is  daily  to  be  seen,  we  must  confess  that 
the  persons  who  enjoy  the  best  pleasures  upon  earth, 
are  those  who  receive  and  obey  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Now  as  believers  do  in  fact  enjoy  such  delight,  who 
can  but  observe  the  grace  and  kindness  of  their  Re¬ 
deemer  in  ordering  that  it  should  be  sol  Were  men 
born  with  a  different  constitution,  or  placed  in  a  situa- 


424  'COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 

• 

tion  more  favorable  to  obedience,  it  might  secure  then 
fidelity  plainly  to  mark  out  the  line  of  duty,  and  to  en 
force  the  observance  of  it  with  rewards  too  great  t<8 
be  brought  into  comparison  with  any  pleasure  or  gain 
arising  from  transgression.  But  when  we  consider  our 
nature,  what  is  so  visible  as  that  we  are  all  greedy  of 
present  gratification  I — and  that  our  inclinations  from 
our  very  birth  impetuously  hurry  us  on  to  take  pleasure 
in  things  which  are  forbidden  of  God]  Look  upon  the 
youth  of  each  sex,  how  continually  are  they  prompted 
from  within,  how  powerfully  solicited  from  without,  to 
forsake  the  path  of  duty  from  the  Very  first  moment 
they  enter  on  the  stage  of  the  world !  how  fatally  in¬ 
clined  to  prefer  every  entertainment  of  folly  and  sin  to 
the  most  beneficial  employment  of  their  time  ;  and  with 
strong  disgust  to  hear  of  God’s  authority,  which  would 
interfere  with  their  favorite  pleasures!  The  female  sex,* 
though  in  youth  more  restrained  from  gross  vice,  place 
their  delight  in  indulging  vanity,  in  obtaining  distinc¬ 
tion  for  elegance  of  form,  gaudy  attire  or  a  splendid 
appearance :  pleased  to  walk  with  "  stretched  forth 
necks  and  wanton  eyes,”  fond  above  measure  of  levity 
and  dissipation,  and  of  course  equally  averse  to  the 
rule  of  duty.  In  the  next  stage  of  life,  though  the  ob 
jects  of  gratification  somewhat  vary,  still  the  inordinate 
affection  towards  them  is  as  vehement  as  ever ;  still 
ambition,  luxury  or  the  pride  of  life  are  cherished  and 
indulged,  as  the  chief  means  of  happiness. 

Such  is  our  natural  disposition :  unwilling  to  ex¬ 
change  sensual  gratifications  and  earthly  pursuits  for 
the  claims  of  the  Gospel,  however  rich  and  glorious 
may  be  its  future  reward.  Alas !  this  reward  is  only  to 
be  received  through  the  hands  of  death,  which  all  men 
naturally  choose  to  put  at  a  distance  from  them.  Make 
now,  on  the  contrary,  the  proposal  with  which  the  .Re¬ 
deemer  invites  us  into  his  service  ;  prove  that  "  there 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


425 


is  no  man  that  hath  left  houses,  or  brethren,  or  sister, 
or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for 
his  sake  and-  the  Gospel’s,  but  (in  a  spiritual  sense, 
through  the  consolations  of  God  with  him,  and  the  fa¬ 
vor  of  his  peculiar  providence)  he  shall  receive  an  hun¬ 
dred  fold  now  in  this  time ,  houses,  and  brethren,  and 
sisters,  and  mothers,  and  children,  and  lands,  with  per¬ 
secution,  and  in  the  world  to  come  eternal  life.”  Mark, 
10  :  29,  30.  Here  is  presented  a  gracious  and  abundant 
reward  for  any  sacrifice  made  in  obedience  and  love  to 
Christ.  Here  is  not  mere  authority  to  overawe  us,  as  it 
Avere,  into  obedience ;  but  such  spiritual  delight  asr 
makes  us  entirely  approve  of  our  choice,  and  freely 
confess,  to  the  glory  of  God,  that  we  were  utterly  blind 
for  not  embracing  it  before. 

And  as  this  present  spiritual  joy  becomes  an  en¬ 
couragement  to  believers  to  engage  in  the  service  of 
Christ,  so  is  it  likewise  to  discharge  the  duties  required 
at  their  hands.  For  to  them  are  the  commands  ad- 
•' dressed,  "In  every  thing  give  thanks ; — rejoice  in  the 
Lord  evermore :  be  content  with  such  things  as  ye 
have  : — be  patient  in  tribulation.”  All  these  dispositions 
of  mind  are  but  a  just  acknowledgment  of  the  mercies 
of  redemption,  and  a  proper  gratitude  for  "the  abun¬ 
dance  of  the  gift  of  grace  and  justification  unto  eternal 
life.”  These  dispositions  can  have  their  residence  only 
where  the  soul  is  elevated  by  the  power  of  a  divine 
faith,  and  habituated  to  such  views  of  the  great  salva¬ 
tion  of  God  as  excite  to  thanksgiving :  such  views  as 
reduce  sufferings,  which  to  the  eye  of  sense  and  reason 
are  most  formidable,  into  light  afflictions ;  and  self-de¬ 
nials,  which  are  to  nature  most  grievous,  into  welcome 
tests  of  the  believer’s  sincerity  towards  God.  Take 
away  all  such  views,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to 
have  joy  in  God  in  time  of  trouble,  and  under  every 
cross  befalling  us  to  give  thanks.  But  if  we  are  indeed 


426 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OP  MAN. 


risen  with  Christ,  if  our  life  be  hid  with  Christ  in  God, 
if  we  already  joy  in  him,  and  have  this  hope,  that  when 
He  who  is  our  life  shall  appear,  we  shall  appear  also 
with  him  in  glory,  this  will  give  us  the  victory  over  our 
natural  fears,  and  contentment  in  our  most  trying  cir¬ 
cumstances. 

These  evidences  in  proof  of  the  reasonableness,  cer¬ 
tainty  and  benefits  of  the  joy  of  believers,  are  sufficient 
to  satisfy  all,  I  trust,  who  will  submit  to  the  authority 
of  Scripture,  and  to  deductions  clearly  drawn  from  it. 
I  shall  add  therefore  nothing  more  but  a  caution  against 
the  wrong  use  of  this  doctrine,  and  an  exhortation  to  all 
persons,  as  they  love  their  own  happiness,  to  seek,  in  the 
first  place,  the  enjoyment  of  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel. 

It  must  be  remembered  then,  that  the  delight  of 
Christians  is  various  in  its  degree ,  according  to  men’s 
respective  characters.  The  weak  in  faith  enjoy  but 
little  in  comparison  of  the  strong.  Reproaches,  pains 
and  pressures,  which  are  almost  too  heavy  for  the  one, 
are  borne  by  the  other  with  alacrity.  A  small  storm  is 
apt  to  affright  the  weak  in  faith,  and  make  them  dread 
a  shipwreck ;  whilst  the  strong,  by  a  more  clear  know¬ 
ledge  of  God’s  word  and  will,  and  more  experience  of 
his  dealings,  can  trust  without  fear  the  care  of  their 
heavenly  Pilot,  though  the  tempest  rage,  and  neither 
sun,  nor  moon,  nor  stars  be  visible  for  many  days. 
Some  are  apt  soon  to  yield  to  discouraging  thoughts, 
if  they  be  not  speedily  delivered  from  the  perils  and 
alarms  attendant  on  the  spiritual  combat  j  whilst  others, 
like  veteran  soldiers,  can  follow  the  Captain  of  their  sal¬ 
vation,  and  endure  hardships  without  fainting  in  their 
minds.  Some,  who  are  but  babes  in  Christ,  ignorant  of 
the  discipline  of  their  heavenly  Father’s  house,  find  it 
difficult  to  believe  that  they  are  his  children  when  they 
feel  the  strength  of  their  corruptions,  or  lose  the  sensi¬ 
ble  sweetness  of  communion  with  him )  whilst  others, 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


427 


who  understand  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord,  no 
longer  estimate  their  safety,  or  the  favor  of  God  to¬ 
wards  them,  solely  by  their  own  present  sense  and  feel¬ 
ing.  Some  of  very  tender  consciences  and  vehement 
desires  to  be  holy,  are  ready  to  despond  upon  the  dis¬ 
covery  of  the  infirmities  and  defects  which  are  found 
in  all  real  Christians ;  whilst  others  of  a  sounder  judg¬ 
ment  only  sink,  at  the  sight  of  them,  deeper  into  humi¬ 
lity,  cleave  still  more  steadfastly  to  the  Lord  their  hope, 
and  so  hold  fast  the  confidence  of  their  rejoicing. 

In  the  same  persons,  also,  at  different  times  spiritual 
delight  must  be  different,  varying  both  according  to 
their  temptations,  their  faithfulness  to  God,  their  dili¬ 
gence  in  holy  duties,  and  the  good  pleasure  of  Him 
from  whose  presence  all  consolation  comes.  Whilst 
therefore  it  must  be  strenuously  maintained  as  a  noble 
privilege  of  real  Christians,  that  they  rejoice  in  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  God,  still  the  precise  degree  as  well  as  conti¬ 
nuance  of  that  joy  must  not  be  absolutely  fixed  and 
made  the  test  of  all  saving  faith ;  for  then  we  shall 
often  make  sad  the  hearts  of  the  righteous,  whom  God 
would  not  have  made  sad  ;  and  beat  down  the  weak,  in 
stead  of  strengthening  and  encouraging  them. 

Nevertheless,  if  persons  making  a  profession  of  reli¬ 
gion  he  habitually  strangers  to  the  delight  so  much 
spoken  of  throughout  the  Bible,  they  have  reason  to 
suspect  the  soundness  of  their  faith; — abundant  cause 
there  is  indeed  for  a  thorough  examination  whether 
there  is  not  some  worldliness  of  temper,  or  some  idol, 
as  money  or  forbidden  pleasure,  which  robs  God  of  the 
supreme  love  he  requires;  or  whether  they  have  not 
mean  thoughts  of  Christ’s  grace  and  power,  but  high 
ones  of  their  own  obedience.  This  scrutiny  is  necessary, 
and  ought  to  be  repeated,  where  no  spiritual  delight  is 
experienced  ;  because  certainly  the  proper  and  abiding 
state  of  believers  is  that  of  delight  in  God ;  his  kingdom 


428 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


within  them  is  a  kingdom  of  "  righteousness  and  peace, 
and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.” 

Since  then  the  present  advantages  of  true  faith  are  so 
great,  who  can  have  the  lowest  feelings  of  humanity, 
and  not  breathe  out  to  God  the  apostle’s  ardent  prayer, 
O  that  all  who  hear  the  sound  of  the  Gospel  this  day 
were  "not  almost,  but  altogether”  Christians! — 0  that 
the  tongues  of  men  and  angels  were  employed,  and  the 
arm  of  the  Lord  revealed,  to  compel  our  fellow-sinners 
to  come  in,  that  his  house  might  be  filled. 

Ye  young  and  gay,  ye  rich  and  noble,  be  no  longer 
prejudiced  against  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  as  if  it  were  too 
strict  a  rule  of  duty  for  you  to  walk  by,  consistently  with 
happiness.  Examine  it  more  closely,  and  make  a  fair 
trial  of  submission  to  it  5  you  will  then  find  it  an  em¬ 
bassy  of  peace  and  reconciliation  from  the  God  of  love 
to  a  world  of  rebels  in  arms  against  him  ;  an  assemblage 
of  promises,  privileges  and  delights,  suitable  to  all  your 
wants,  and  adequate  to  your  desires :  designed  to  knit 
your  hearts  unto  him,  that  you  may  ever  love  his  name  * 
of  delights,  which  though  not  always  the  same,  yet  at 
their  lowest  ebb  are  superior  to  every  thing  the  world 
can  afford. 

Cease  for  ever,  ye  deluded  men,  to  indulge  your  love 
of  licentiousness  and  mirth,  of  wealth  and  honor,  as  if 
you  must  be  miserable  or  melancholy  if  deprived  of 
these  sources  of  gratification.  Hearken  and  be  persuad¬ 
ed  !  The  Most  High  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth, 
makes  a  marriage-supper  for  his  Son ;  that  Son  says, 
respecting  such  as  you,  "I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ; 
if  any  man  open,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with 
him,  and  he  with  me  3” — that  is,  we  will  dwell  together 
on  terms  of  the  most  intimate  friendship  and  affection, 
and  cheerfully  feast  together  in  token  of  reciprocal  love 
Consider  this  as  you  ought.  I  urge  not  upon  you  what 
must  be  your  future  doom,  if  you  will  not  receive  H?^» 


CHRISTIAN  JOY. 


429 


that  thus  speaketh  from  heaven :  I  dwell  not  on  that  tre¬ 
mendous  hour  that  will  come,  too  soon  alas!  when  all 
your  polluted  sources  of  joy  will  be  terribly  transformed 
into  your  everlasting  tormentors:  I  do  not  attempt  to 
lay  open  the  horrors  of  that  Tophet,  "  which  is  deep 
and  large,  the  pile  thereof  is  fire  and  much  wood,  and 
the  breath  of  the  Lord,  like  a  stream  of  brimstone,  doth 
kindle  it  j”  but  I  beseech  you  by  the  consolations  that 
are  in  Christ,  by  the  comforts  of  love,  by  the  fellowship 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  call  upon  God,  that  you  may  lay 
aside  all  wickedness  and  superfluity  of  naughtiness  j  that 
these  inestimable  blessings  may  immediately  be  your 
portion,  and  have  place  in  your  hearts.  Deal  not  so 
madly  any  longer  as  to  prefer  licentious  indulgence,  or 
the  cup  of  intemperance,  to  that  fountain  of  joy  which 
makes  glad  the  whole  church  of  God  in  heaven  and 
earth : — a  state  of  pagan  ignorance  and  estrangement 
from  God,  to  the  light  of  life  shining  in  your  souls ; — or 
the  love  of  the  world,  and  the  things  of  the  world,  to 
the  pledge  and  earnest  of  everlasting  glory.  Consider 
what  a  cloud  of  witnesses  are  ready  to  appear  against 
you,  to  confront  and  confound  you ;  they  felt  so  much 
immediate  delight  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  to  be  glad  to 
renounce  every  comfort  of  life  for  his  sake,  to  take  joy¬ 
fully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods,  and  to  meet  death  in 
its  most  hideous  forms.  The  very  same  Jesus,  not  more 
impaired  in  his  excellency  or  love  by  length  of  days, 
than  the  sun  in  its  brightness,  offers  himself  to  you  in 
the  Gospel.  And  will  you  be  such  despicable  dupes  to 
your  passions  and  to  the  errors  of  the  world  as  to  be 
afraid  of  coming  into  full  subjection  to  Christ,  lest  you 
should  be  sufferers  in  point  of  present  happiness  1 — Suf¬ 
ferers  !  impossible !  for  all  you  are  required  to  give  up  is 
sordid  vice,  and  the  very  prostitution  of  your  souls  to 
Satan !  Be  assured,  of  all  the  gross  falsehoods  he  ever 
makes  men  credulous  enough  to  receive,  this  is  the 


430 


COMPLETE  DUTY  OF  MAN. 


greatest,  to  imagine  any  joy  equal  to  that  of  knowing 
and  loving  Christ. 

Finally,  receive  instruction,  ye  decent,  self-justifying 
professors  of  religion.  Go  no  more  about  miserably  to 
glean  some  grains  of  satisfaction  from  a  good  opinion 
of  yourselves,  nor  labor  to  walk  in  the  sparks  of  comfort 
which  can  be  kindled  from  the  works  which  you  perform, 
and  the  principles  from  which  they  proceed.  No  longer 
tread  the  tiresome  round  of  duties  as  a  penance  enjoin* 
ed  of  God  to  escape  damnation,  and  to  gain  his  favor 
Uncomfortable,  senseless  service !  To  such  serious,  but 
grievously  mistaken  souls,  God  thus  speaks  in  his 
word:  "Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which 
is  not  bread,  and  your  labor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  1 
Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is 
good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness ;  for  I 
will  give  you  the  sure  mercies  of  David,”  that  is,  Christ. 
"  Behold  I  have  given  him  for  a  witness  ”  (of  my  free 
grace  and  love)  "  to  the  people,  a  leader  and  command¬ 
er  to  the  people.”  Make  him  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last,  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  all 
your  religion,  and  great  will  be  your  peace.  You  shall 
delight  yourself  in  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  give  you  your 
heart’s  desire  :  then  shall  you  have  cause  to  say,  with  all 
that  are  called  to  be  one  body  in  Christ,  what  Moses  in 
triumph  spoke  of  the  church  of  God  in  old  time  :  "  What 
nation  is  there  so  great,  who  hath  God  so  nigh  unto  them, 
as  the  Lord  our  God  is  in  all  things  that  we  call  upon 
him  for'?  Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel;  who  is  like  unto 
thee,  O  people,  saved  by  the  Lord  I” 


THE  END. 


unIvers'^uf, 


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